Black Widow
by Lady Ivalyn
Summary: Team 7 is paired up on a mission with Takora Kinuko, an ANBU black ops specializing in seduction missions who possesses a unique bloodline limit new to Konoha. Mainly Kakashi/OC pairing with slight hints of Naruto/Sakura and a Sai/OC friendship. Complete! Warning: Rated M and there is a character death of a supporting character (not my main Kakashi/OC pairing - I wouldn't dare!).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! So, I'm trying my hand at a new category as I have recently become very addicted to Naruto. I will note upfront that this was something I wrote just for fun, and decided that since I finished it, maybe there was someone out there who would enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :) I am definitely no expert on Naruto, the Japanese language or culture, so I forewarn you that I have probably made things up and gotten some things very, very wrong. I tried to incorporate the Fourth Shinobi War, but as you will notice later on, I definitely shortened it to make it work for the story. My focus here was a Kakashi/OC romance, a Sai/OC friendship, with a little Naruto/Sakura mention on the side.**

 **I'm a huge fan of any Sakura and Kakashi story, but I really struggled to write them together so I ended up inventing a new female character. I realize many people have done the 'seduction' kuniochi storyline, but honestly, it was the only type of character I could imagine that Team 7 could even need since they are all so bad-ass in their own respects.**

 **I will add that Jiraiya is still alive and Sasuke doesn't get too much mention in the story since I couldn't really work him in properly. I also did quite a bit of research, and yes, I know that specifically 'poison users' don't exist in the Narutoverse, but, if they did, I would guess it would be an Earth, Water, and Yang combination. That's the basis the story is formed under, or else, I would have no OC to play with...I hope you enjoy the story, please leave a review letting me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and am only playing with the characters for the sheer joy of it!**

* * *

"Naruto, why do you always have to be so stubborn? Come on, we are going to be late!"Sakura yelled at Naruto as she tapped her foot, arms crossed, at his doorstep.

"Sakkkurrraaa, hold on, I'm coming ok. Now where did I put that other shoe?" Naruto started to mumble to himself.

Sakura just rolled her eyes and grit her teeth. "NARUTO!"

"Found it!"

With a slam of the door, Naruto was finally outside of his apartment tugging on his Shinobi sandal in his typical orange and black outfit.

"Alright Sakura-chan, I'm ready. Let's go see what Baa-chan wants this early in the morning."

Sakura started to seethe as they walked down his stairs, "Early? Naruto, it's 11:00 in the morning on a Wednesday!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Ah, right, sorry Sakura-chan."

As they made their way from roof top to roof top, they finally arrived at the Hokage's office. Kakashi was waiting for them outside the door and Shizune holding a stack of papers in one hand.

She sighed in relief, "Alright, now that everyone's here please go in. Hokage-sama is waiting for you."

Everyone silently filed into the office, save for Naruto who, immediately upon seeing Tsunade behind her desk screeched at her "Baa-chan! What's all the fuss about so early in the morning? I haven't even had my ramen yet."

Sakura slapped Naruto upside his head.

Tsunade snickered "Thanks Sakura."

Sakura smiled, "Anytime Shishou."

Tsunade shuffled her papers about until she found a particular scroll and sat it in front of her. "I've called you here today to announce some important news. Team 7 will be going on a mission to depart this evening for Stone country to intercept a group of Stone ANBU that will be delivering a very important scroll to an enemy of Konoha that could put our nation's safety at risk."

Naruto fist-pumped at the news, "YES! A mission, finally!"

"Naruto! I'm not done!" Yelled the Hokage.

Naruto's face fell, "Sorry baa-chan."

Tsunade continued, "Once the scroll has been intercepted and obtained, I need it to be delivered to the enemy that Stone intended it for. His name is Saito Chitori. He is an S-class missing-nin of Lightning and extremely dangerous. He will be well guarded and I need him to believe that you are the Stone ANBU he was intended to meet with. He will be exchanging information with Stone about a forbidden jutsu that we cannot allow to get into enemy hands. However, it has also come to our attention that this man has a library of forbidden jutsus that he sells at the right price. We have to send someone in to get close to him, to find where he is storing these scrolls so that you may recover them and bring them with you."

"Who's going undercover then?" It was Sakura this time with the questions, but finally, a valid one.

Tsunade sighed, "Every one of you are recognizable as a legend of Konoha and if you are under a henge to try and disguise yourself, Saito will be able to detect your chakra use. So that's why I'm adding in two of my elite ANBU special black ops to accompany you on this mission. Shizune, send them in."

Shizune turned to open the door and motioned for the individuals.

The first individual that stepped in they recognized immediately as the Hyuuga prince, Hyuuga Neji. Behind him, was an unfamiliar woman, strikingly beautiful with waist length golden brown hair and hazel eyes. Both were decked out in ANBU gear, completely covered in black from head to toe with their white masks hanging on their hips. Sakura's eye widened a bit in recognition of the woman.

"Team 7, you already know Neji, and this is Takora Kinuko. Neji, I believe this is the first time you are meeting as well?"

Neji nodded and nodded respectfully towards Kinuko, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smiled briefly at the beautiful ANBU woman she had employed for this mission, knowing full well that Team 7 along with Neji would be able to take care of this woman she called friend.

"Kinuko, this is Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. I'm sure you are aware of their reputations…" Tsunade chuckled and Kinuko smiled softly, nodding towards all of her teammates for the mission.

"Kinuko will be going undercover to determine the whereabouts of the scrolls and will not be involved in the scroll exchange. She has already done reconnaissance on the compound Chitori is staying in and will brief you on it before you arrive. Kinuko is an expert at chakra masking, and her bloodline limit allows her to get out of sticky situations, particularly when they involve male Shinobi. She won't be detected as a kunoichi, but she's going to need back-up when the time comes for extraction that Neji won't be able to provide alone. Particularly, if she can't get close enough to use her bloodline limit on Chitori's guards she will be overwhelmed. Kinuko has confirmed that Chitori is surrounded by at least chunin and jounin rank shinobi. Kinuko, as discussed, your mission is to find the location of the forbidden jutsu scrolls and assassinate Chitori. The rest of you, it's your mission to protect Kinuko and provide for extraction when necessary. Chitori is an S-class missing nin, if Kinuko finds herself in trouble I'm expecting all of you to intervene immediately."

Neji nodded respectfully, but was wondering, however, what Kinuko's bloodline limit was as he had never heard of the woman prior to this mission, and he was an ANBU captain.

"Good, I'm glad that's clear. Here's your mission scroll," Tsunade pointed towards Kakashi who took it quickly, "Team 7 you will be led by Kakashi, and Black Ops will be led by Captain Hyuuga. I also want to note, that I didn't bring you all together out of sheer chance. Kinuko is veering away from her ANBU specialty and I'd like to get her acclimated to working with a team. I've chosen the lot of you due to your leadership skills and I trust that you will show Kinuko what true teamwork and acceptance means. I hope you all become good friends, as I intend to pair Kinuko together with you in the future. Good luck, you're dismissed."

Everyone started to file out of the room, but Tsunade called out quietly, "Kinuko, Hyuuga, stay a minute."

Everyone cleared out until the two black ops stood side by side. Tsunade stood and put her hands on her desk, "I know you two don't know each other and Kinuko, I know you've never been under anyone's command, but I expect you two to work together."

Kinuko frowned but nodded, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade snarled to Neji's disbelief, "Cut the crap Kinuko, we're friends, you don't have to stand for ceremony in front of the Hyuuga, he's used to Naruto calling me Baa-chan for Kami's sake!"

Kinuko chuckled and glanced at Neji, "Hai Tsunade. I promise I'll behave for the mission."

Neji stood there quietly, just observing the conversation.

"Hyuuga, I expect you to take care of Kinuko. Undercover missions for Kinuko don't typically involve S-class missing nin of this caliber surrounded by other highly trained Shinobi. I don't want anyone losing their life for these scrolls. Kinuko is a very close friend of mine. Are we clear?"

Neji nodded again, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smiled again, "Good, dismissed."

Neji and Kinuko walked out silently, their strides in sync. "It's nice to finally work with you Neji-Sama. It's an honor."

Neji kept walking and glanced at Kinuko, his eyes lingering on her full, pink lips that looked soft as silk. She was beautiful, but her lips stood out strikingly against her face.

He smirked a bit at her comment, his ego ever inflating, "It's nice to meet you as well Kinuko-sama. So you are from the Takora clan? My Uncle does business quite a bit with Takora Shira, I'm surprised we haven't met."

Kinuko hummed softly in thought, "I'm the first of my family with my particular bloodline limit. As you know, the Takora's aren't known for having one. I have been…kept under wraps so to speak. My specialty usually means I'm sent on ANBU missions alone."

Neji nodded, understanding that she wasn't willing to say anymore on the subject at the moment.

At his silence, Kinuko turned, "I'll meet you at the gate at 5:00 pm."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Re-post note: I didn't realize that the additional spaces I add are disappearing whenever I save the document, so I'm going back through to add the line breaks. Sorry for any confusion this has caused. Again, just having fun with the story and the Naruto characters. And it is completely finished, I'm just working on uploading each of the chapters.  
**

* * *

At 5:00 pm sharp everyone was at the gate except Kakashi, who was always notoriously late. Kinuko and Neji had their ANBU masks in their hands ready to adorn them, the face of a raccoon and a tiger representing them.

Naruto was impatiently tapping his foot, and Sakura blushed in embarrassment as the ANBU team stared at them silently. "We're really sorry about this, Kakashi is always late, but I know he will be here soon."

Kinuko nodded with a small smile and Neji snorted in disbelief, he had been on enough missions with Kakashi to know that he was never on time. Naruto stared unabashedly at Kinuko, to which Sakura noticed, and she gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs.

"OW! Sakura what was that for?" Naruto had everyone's attention now and Sakura giggled nervously at the attention, and she was relieved when Kakashi popped out of nowhere to save her from having to chastise Naruto for crushing on Kinuko in front of everyone.

"Oh great, Kakashi, you're here, let's go!" Sakura smiled in relief and everyone nodded their heads.

Neji spoke first, "Kakashi, take point and I'll head up the rear. We've got about a 3 day travel to intercept the Stone ninja." Everyone nodded in agreement and they took off, the ANBU duo donning their masks as they headed off.

It wasn't 30 minutes into their run through the trees that Sakura and Kakashi noticed Naruto gravitating towards Kinuko. He started running in sync with her, smiling like a love-sick fox.

"So, uh, Kinuko, I've never seen you around before. How come?"

Kinuko smiled as everyone silently listened in, "I was trained privately, away from the Academy you all went through."

Naruto's brow furrowed, "Ah, that must have not been very fun. What about your teammates, who are they?"

Kinuko smiled sadly under her mask, "I received specialty training without teammates, Naruto. Most of my missions are performed alone."

Kakashi, who was ahead of the group, was probably the only one who understood what she meant. He could only conclude that she was utilized for seduction missions, and received specialty kuniochi training from the few shinobi like her in Konoha. Konoha didn't publicize exactly who was used for seduction missions, but mostly what he knew of that branch of shinobi life from when he was in ANBU was that they weren't generally known to other Leaf ninja and their identities were usually concealed until they decided to move away from their specialty, or that their looks could no longer complete the mission.

He heard Naruto yelp enthusiastically, "Well you can come on missions with us anytime! You sure are pretty Kinuko, I wouldn't let any harm come to you, believe it!"

Sakura snorted in disbelief, "Hey Naruto, what the hell am I, chopped liver?"

Naruto groaned and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, lagging behind to fall in step with Sakura and apologize. Kinuko gave a small laugh and sped up to check on Kakashi's scouting.

She fell in to step with him, scanning the woods around her, "Anything interesting up ahead?"

Kakashi glanced around again, his Sharingan exposed. "Not unless you count trees, trees, and…more trees."

Kinuko huffed in amusement, "I'll check with Hyuuga. Maybe we've got some squirrel enemies ahead."

Kakashi smiled beneath his masked and nodded as Kinuko stopped momentarily to fall to the back of the group to fall in line with Neji.

"Any squirrel enemies ahead?"

Neji snorted in small amusement, "All clear."

Kinuko nodded and proceeded ahead in silence.

It was nearing nightfall when Kakashi brought them to a stop near a river. "We will camp here for the night."

Everyone stopped with Kakashi, nodding and taking their packs out of their sealing scrolls. Kinuko watched as everyone suddenly split off into a task: Naruto was fetching water, Kakashi started a fire with a Katon jutsu, Sai was gathering firewood, and Sakura was working on getting dinner set up. Kinuko felt a little useless as she stood behind the group, removing her mask and tying it to her belt sash.

"Even when they aren't fighting together, they seamlessly work as a team." Neji approached Kinuko on her left side to watch the group with her.

Kinuko nodded, her eyes lit with wonder and a hint of envy. Neji noticed her stare and, not wanting her to feel left out, assigned her a task as well. "I need you to set the barrier jutsus and traps."

Kinuko nodded, "Hai." And she took off.

When Kinuko arrived back to the group, Neji was in the trees on watch and Team 7 was gathered around the fire. The sun had finally gone down and the fire was the only light in the area save for the moon.

Sakura turned to Kinuko with a warm, welcoming smile, "Dinner is ready, have a seat."

Sakura patted the log next to her, to which Kinuko smiled and sat next to her. "Ariagoto."

Kinuko took the offered bowl of soup and began eating with the group. Everyone noticed how graceful she was, even with eating, and Naruto and Sakura both tried to clean up their act a bit around her. Sakura watched Kinuko from the corner of her eye, she had recognized the woman immediately. She was one of Tsunade's closest friends, but Sakura knew little about her personally other than her code name.

Sakura smiled and tried to make conversation, "So, Kinuko-san, I've heard Tsunade speak highly of you before but never about your work. I was wondering what your specialty is? Tsunade says you are so good at what you do that they call you the Black Widow."

Kinuko stilled, Kakashi noticing immediately a shift in her body language. From above in the trees, Neji looked down and saw a spike in Kinuko's chakra before it immediately disappeared.

Naruto, ever oblivious, nearly jumped out of his seat, "The Black Widow?! That's so cool, Kinuko-chan!"

Kinuko's form relaxed and she smiled softly, remembering that Tsunade had told her to trust these people if she was ever to leave her specialty. Tsunade said they wouldn't judge her, and that the group, especially Naruto, were among the most accepting and understanding shinobi she had ever met.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Naruto. But to answer your question Sakura, my specialty is with seduction missions. I think Tsunade likes to call me the Black Widow because…well…I've assassinated many men in the bedroom and because I'm a poison jutsu specialist."

Everyone was quiet for a moment and Neji, if he wasn't a ninja, would have fallen out of the tree at the initial shock.

Naruto pounced immediately back into the conversation, "Poison jutsu, that's awesome! What the heck are seduction missions?"

Kakashi actually slapped Naruto on the back of the head and Sakura face-palmed.

Kinuko couldn't help but laugh, the tension in the group had dissipated. "It's alright Naruto, I don't expect many shinobi to be familiar with the term unless they've spent a great deal of time in ANBU. There are only a few kuniochi who work the same missions that I do, and most of our Leaf ninja have no idea we exist. When we are young, certain families are approached for their daughters to enter the specialty if they fit the requirements for seduction missions and if accepted, they enter a private academy with training geared towards seduction missions."

Naruto's draw dropped and Kakashi was a bit surprised to find out that the women were chosen and trained from childhood.

Kakashi was curious, "What kind of requirements could they possibly impose on children to find them suitable in the future for such a career?"

Kinuko averted her eyes and looked to the ground, "Our family's skill set and our looks are taken into account."

Kinuko turned and looked at Sakura, "Sakura, you for instance, would have been recruited had your family not been civilians and well, if your hair wasn't pink. You are beautiful and talented, you are truly fortunate that you are so distinguishable."

Sakura was blushing as Kinuko turned to the group, "The women that are chosen can't have distinguishable features as we can't rely on a henge for a mission. Some women, their clan will not accept such a fate for their daughters and have the ability to fight the system. Hinata, for instance, is the Hyuuga heir and your friend, Ino, has a father who would never allow his daughter to do something so…disgraceful."

Neji landed without a sound next to Kinuko, "What you do, Kinuko, is not disgraceful. You serve as a ninja just like the rest of us, and you had no choice as a child for the decision your clan made for you."

Kinuko looked up at Neji and smiled, "Hai. I am just surprised that you all have reacted so calmly."

Sakura grabbed Kinuko's hand and squeezed it, "We understand the ninja way, and everyone's path is different."

Naruto, who had been taking all of this in, finally stood up in a dramatic fashion, "So you are telling me that Tsunade has sexy Leaf kuniochi trained in the art of seduction as her friends and she isn't telling anyone?! Wait until I tell Jiraiya-sensei about this!"

Sakura punched Naruto into a tree, "You pervert!"

Kinuko was laughing so hard she was doubled over and even Kakashi couldn't contain a chuckle. That was the only thing Naruto had gotten out of listening to Kinuko.

She wiped the tears out of her eyes, prepared to settle Naruto down once and for all, "This is too much. Naruto, Jiraiya-sensei WAS one of our senseis. He is the pervy sage after all."

Everyone's eyes nearly fell out of their head. It took a lot of effort to shut Naruto up, but that did the trick. Soon enough, everyone had dropped the subject and quieted down enough to get some rest.

* * *

The next day turned out to be just as quiet as the first, the run was filled with idle chit-chat. Kinuko noticed that Sakura kept stealing glances at her, but she couldn't quite figure out why. Every time she neared her to talk, Sakura would blush and speed up her pace. Kinuko, wanting to try and make friends with Sakura, decided she would pull Sakura aside when she had the chance and see why she was suddenly acting strange.

After running the whole day, the group found a small cave to set up in. Before Sakura could start with a meal, Kinuko grabbed Sakura by the elbow, "Sakura and I are going to the stream nearby for a bath, we will be back shortly."

Everyone mumbled their acknowledgment as Kinuko led Sakura off. They disrobed quietly and entered the warm water.

Kinuko started scrubbing her hair, "Sakura, is everything alright? I've noticed you seem uneasy around me now. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, I'd like for us to become friends."

Sakura's eyes widened and she shook her hands in front of her "No, no, it's nothing like that, Kinuko. I want us to become friends as well."

Sakura took to scrubbing her hair as well while Kinuko let her continue.

She started to blush and stutter, "Well, it's just…you know…what you do is very interesting and I can't help but imagine how Jiraiya-sama was your sensei and all. He is quite the pervert…"

Kinuko laughed softly as she rinsed her long hair and then her face turned serious, "Sakura, do you really want me to tell you? Your ears may literally burn off and your nose bleed. You do seem quite innocent regarding the topic, though I mean no offense."

Sakura blushed furiously, "I haven't had any experience with men, but I think I can endure. I want to try and understand what you've had to go through a little better. I think it's safe to say that it's quite an intriguing career and I can't help but have a million questions. I'd like you to tell me a bit about it, if you feel comfortable."

Kinuko smiled and put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, "Alright. Well, I complete missions based on my ability to seduce men, as you know. Sometimes, though, Sakura, men have certain desires that aren't exactly tender or loving or…pleasurable to their partner. The targets I have on missions aren't exactly prince charming. And sometimes, well, before I can subdue them they've taken things too far or there even might be an audience and… I have to endure."

Sakura's face went from blushing to pale in horror, "Kinuko…I had no idea…I'm so sorry."

Kinuko squeezed Sakura's shoulder and then continued washing, "It's alright, we all have to endure as ninja in one form or another. But that's why we have people like Jiraiya-sensei in our lives. They don't just teach us how to seduce men as our careers, Sakura. We were taught that before we ever went on a mission, we had to learn, frankly, to enjoy sex. And there were male shinobi who helped us along the way, to learn to love ourselves, to learn how to be in control of sex, and to learn how to give up control without breaking. We had to learn that sex in our personal lives isn't the awful experiences we have on our missions."

Sakura's face was cherry red again, "I'll never be able to look at Jiraiya-sama the same again."

Kinuko laughed, "Trust me, Sakura, once you've had your go around the bedroom, it will be hard to look at ANY male ninja the same again without wondering what exactly they could possibly do to you."

Sakura's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

Kinuko chuckled, "Trust me, it's not as awful as you think. Have you seen your fox-friend with his shirt off? I mean, seriously hot abs. Kakashi takes point and you don't stare at his firm ass? Neji has the face of a prince with hair to die for and you don't just want to reach out and touch him? And let's face it, they're all shinobi, you know they are completely ripped underneath those clothes, kind of makes a woman wonder what it would be like to undress them, yeah?"

Sakura blushed to high heaven and Kinuko smiled, nudging her ribs.

"I'm not going to jump any of your friends, I promise, although I work seduction missions I'm not that kind of woman in my personal life. I don't mess with people's feelings like that or my own. But if you've wondered why so many kuniochi glare daggers into your back, it's because they've probably had those same thoughts I have, I'm just giving you food for thought and maybe open your eyes a little bit."

They both got out of the water and begin dressing. Sakura stared off, lost in thought a bit and then blushed again, "I guess I never thought of it like that before. I've always been around Naruto and Kakashi since I was little, I guess I really never had that perspective before. And frankly, no one besides Ino has ever told me anything like that, and I just thought she said those things because, well, she's Ino and she chases after every guy."

Kinuko smiled knowingly as she brushed out her wet hair, "I can imagine being on a team like yours you see Naruto and Kakashi for the people they are, superficial things like their looks would be overlooked for a long time."

Sakura sat on a rock as she brushed her short locks out as well, staring off into the water, "Sasuke was the only one I'd ever thought of like that before, it's hard to look past him, even though he isn't here."

Kinuko knew all too well Sakura's unrequited love story, it was one thing Tsunade had hoped that Kinuko could help her apprentice move on from and realize what was in front of her before it was too late.

"I can only imagine your pain, Sakura. But can I say something in all honesty from an outsider's perspective?"

Sakura looked up with saddened emerald eyes and nodded, "Hai."

Kinuko moved to sit next to Sakura and put a hand on her knee, "You deserve happiness, Sakura, and you deserve someone who would love you and you would be the center of their world. Life is too short to worry about what-ifs and what could have been. We are shinobi, Sakura, live your life to the fullest and take and enjoy everything you can from it now, because we never know what day will be our last."

Sakura let the words sink in. Kinuko was still a stranger to her, but for some reason, she felt so much sincerity and honesty in her words.

"Ariagoto, Kinuko. I will think on it."

* * *

Everyone continued with their tasks until it was nightfall and they were all gathered around the fire eating dinner in the small cave.

Kinuko reached for her pack and pulled out a map. "Since we will be intercepting the Stone ninja tomorrow, we need to go over the layout of Chitori's compound."

Everyone gathered close to Kinuko as she spread the map out on the ground in front of her and started pointing out the layout, "The compound is three stories with a basement and surrounded by a 6 foot stone wall. There are generally three guards stationed at the entrance inside the wall and two guards stationed outside. Two guards walk the grounds, and it's unknown how many men he keeps inside. During my recon, I counted about twenty different shinobi coming in and out. Chitori's room is located on the second floor and this is his balcony here," Kinuko pointed to a spot on the map. "When you meet for the exchange, I should already be inside the compound with Neji on watch. I don't imagine that this should take too long, once you've completed the exchange I should have him down by nightfall and be ready for extraction."

Everyone nodded and Neji pointed to a spot on the map, "I'll take up watch at this point and scan the building before you enter. I'll let you know where he is storing the forbidden scrolls. I imagine we won't be involved in taking down the Stone ninja if you plan to be inside before the exchange?"

Kinuko nodded, "I will be moving into the compound with the women that visit weekly from the local brothel. However, you'll have to relay the whereabouts of the scroll library to Team 7. The owner of the brothel and I have an arrangement, and I'll be meeting the group 5 miles out from the compound to travel amongst them. I have to be careful that I blend in with the group in case any of his men are watching. Once we arrive, Chitori will handpick the woman he wants and the rest will stay for his men. Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, I expect you to arrive shortly after before we have a chance to head back to his room, so timing is important. The rest will play out from there."

Everyone nodded in understanding except Neji, "And what if he doesn't select you to accompany him, what's the contingency plan?"

Kinuko smirked knowingly, "There isn't a need for a contingency plan, he will choose me."

Neji started to retort in argument that in fact, she couldn't know and there was a gaping hole in her plan, but Kakashi cut him off, shaking his head. "Neji, you forget that this is Kinuko's area of expertise. You would do right to trust her. If she is certain of this, so should we be."

Kinuko smiled at Kakashi with a nod of respect, "Thank you Kakashi-sama. I've done my homework on our target and I know what type of woman he's after, I'll play the part convincingly, you needn't be worried about that. Our biggest concern is extraction, especially since it's our mission to recover the library of forbidden jutsu and get out of the compound without been seen or heard. My target is just a piece of the puzzle."

Kakashi sat back with a hand under his masked chin, "If we can get inside during the exchange I can replace myself with a clone and make it to the library to work on getting the scrolls altogether and putting them in a traveling scroll. After you've taken care of Chitori, you can meet me in the library and we'll work out an exit from there. If we tip off his men, Naruto and Sakura can be standing by ready to attack. Sakura, we would need you to take down the wall, it would be enough of a distraction to help us get out while Naruto overwhelms them with clones."

Naruto was gleaming with excitement while Sakura flexed her fist, "No problem."

Kinuko began folding the map up and handed it to Neji, who stored it quickly in his pack, "At the first sign of trouble I'll give a signal and we will all move in to get you out. Understood?"

Kinuko nodded but took Neji by the elbow, "I need to speak to you in private."

Neji gave a curt nod and they disappeared into the trees, Team 7 sitting around the fire wondering what was going on.

After they reached a safe distance from the group, Kinuko found a quiet spot under a canopy of trees.

She turned to Neji, "I did not want to speak in front of the others for fear of getting them worked up over nothing. But since you will be watching the exchange, you need to understand exactly what may constitute real trouble and what is an act."

Neji nodded slightly for her to proceed. "Chitori likes to break the new girls in, and he isn't exactly gentle about it. If he hits me, or I'm crying or begging, don't think that he's suspected me and you need to move in. Remember, it's an act on my end. If I'm truly in danger, I'll make the sign of tiger and bull. If my hands aren't free, I'll spike my chakra and you'll need to move fast. Otherwise, just sit back and please let me do my job."

Neji's face turned into a slight frown, "So if he's beating you, degrading you, or forcing himself on you, I'm expected to sit back and just watch?"

He scoffed and crossed his arms. Kinuko smiled softly and placed a hand over his crossed arm, catching his eyes, "I know that it's not easy to watch a comrade be treated as such, but sometimes it's what I have to do Neji-sama. It's not as if I enjoy it, or find it honorable, but it is…necessary sometimes. I trust that you will watch my back, trust that I am a capable kuniochi."

She watched as Neji clenched his jaw and uncrossed his arms, her hand falling to her side. But he quickly placed both hands on the sides of her shoulders, "I shouldn't be the one complaining about what may happen when you are the one who has to endure such treatment. I know that you have done this alone for many years, but when you come out of this mission, you will have teammates to support you. If you need to talk…"

Neji let it hang in the air and Kinuko smiled sweetly, leaning up and placing a kiss on Neji's cheek, "Thank you. Come on, let's get back before they all start wondering what we may be doing out here in these woods."

Kinuko turned to leave but not before she saw Neji break out into a blush that he tried to hide by speeding ahead of her. She chuckled lightly, wondering how someone so handsome could be so completely innocent.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just a fair warning there are scenes ahead depicting torturous acts.**

* * *

When morning came, Neji directed Team 7 on the path that the Stone nin should have been headed down before he set off with Kinuko to intercept the brothel of women. It took 8 more hours before they reached their destination, Kinuko holding up a hand for Neji to stop before she approached the horse-drawn cart that was loaded with 8 young women and an older woman driving the cart.

"We need to part ways here. The slow cart ride will give the other team the opportunity they need to catch up. I need to change first and then I'll give you my pack to take with you."

Neji nodded silently and followed Kinuko down to the ground. She started taking clothing out of her pack and looked up to Neji, "Do you mind…?"

She made a spinning motion with her finger and Neji realized he was staring at her so long she needed to change and he looked like a pervert. Quietly he turned around as he let her change, hearing the rustling of clothes behind him.

It seemed like 15 minutes had passed before she spoke again, "Alright, here's my pack."

When Neji turned around, he swore he was going to have a nose bleed. Kinuko was dressed in a baby pink corset with ruffled white underwear, ankle high French white booties, her hair in soft curls and a light dusting of makeup around her eyes and lips. She looked every bit innocent and entirely too enticing. His hand was gripping onto her outstretched pack but his eyes were too wide and his voice caught in his throat before he could even speak.

Kinuko actually couldn't suppress a giggle as she clipped on a plain brown traveling cloak, "I'll see you later tonight."

And with that she was off, running as if she were out of breath to intercept the traveling cart.

Neji shook out of his stupor and got back in a vantage point in the trees to watch what was going on.

"Mino-sama, hold on, I made it!" Kinuko yelled as she waved her arms frantically to the old woman driving the cart.

The old woman, Mino, didn't stop the horse and cart, "Well come on then, Aiko, I ain't stopping this cart, we have somewhere to be and money to earn. Jump in the back with the rest of the girls."

Kinuko, under the guise of Aiko, nodded and rushed to jump ungracefully in the back of the cart as some of the other girls laughed at her struggle. Neji knew it was all an act, but she was incredibly good at acting like a civilian. She feigned embarrassment and tried talking to the girls during the ride, Neji keeping his eye out for the compound ahead. It took another hour before they arrived and with a last glance, Neji took off from following the cart to situate himself in his vantage point.

He watched as the guards intercepted the cart, and then quickly after opened the gates for the women. He could see movement inside the compound and guards headed inside, presumably to get Chitori.

Kinuko sighed and hopped off the cart when it stopped, all the girls hopping off after her and dusting themselves off.

"Ah, Chitori-sama, there you are. I've brought the girls as always, I suspect you have my payment."

Kinuko turned around as Chitori stepped out of the compound, a sick leer plastered on his face. He was every bit the man she remembered, over 6 feet tall, broad shoulders, a gruff face with a scraggly beard, but still in the shape that a nin of his caliber should be.

"Always good to see you Mino. Of course, of course, payment first."

Kinuko watched as they exchanged payment, the girls around her taking off their cloaks. She left hers on purposely, all as part of the act.

Mino started waving them over, "Line up girls, you know the drill. Aiko! Take off that cloak. Sorry about that, she's a new one."

Mino bowed in apologize to Chitori as Kinuko took off her cloak and looked around nervously, fidgeting with her hands and slowly walking to line up with the rest of the girls.

She had Chitori's eyes on her immediately and heard him rumble a light laugh, "A new one you say? And why, Mino, she's ever so deliciously…innocent."

Chitori walked directly over to Kinuko and she stared at the ground, feigning a look of fright. Chitori gripped her chin roughly and pulled her face up, her hazel eyes meeting his dark brown in wide-eyed surprise.

"I'll take her for myself, the rest are to my men."

She saw Mino nodding from her peripheral vision as Chitori suddenly slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her rear sticking up in the air and her arms dangling over his back. She let out an appropriate squeak of surprise, to which he chuckled.

* * *

Neji watched the exchange as a breathless Naruto clone appeared at his side. "Have you found the library?"

Neji pointed, "It's in the subbasement level. It's time for your team to move in."

The clone nodded, "Hai." With a pop, the clone disappeared to relay the information to Naruto.

* * *

Kinuko had a good view of the gates from her position on Chitori's shoulder as he led her towards the front doors of the compound. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Team 7 coming through the gates, all henged to look like the Stone mist nin they fought.

"Sir, the shinobi from Stone have just arrived."

Chitori spun around to look at the approaching group and Kinuko heard him growl, "Just when I was about to start having my fun."

The world spun around her as she was flipped back over to land on her feet, Chitori leaning down into her face, "Don't worry, I'll be getting to you soon enough."

And before he turned on her he gave her ass a hard slap, to which she jumped and elicited an overly played, painful moan. She could tell it only delighted her target.

Chitori approached her teammates, and she silently prayed that the henged Naruto would stop staring at her so much and focus on his task. "Impeccable timing. I trust you have the scroll?"

The henged Kakashi held up the scroll, to which Chitori tried to grab but he pulled the scroll back, "Not until you give us yours."

Chitori eyed him for a moment and then smirked, "Of course, come with me."

Chitori turned to lead them into the building and stopped to tug Kinuko along with him. They walked past a few halls until Chitori motioned for them to stop outside of a door, "I'll be just a moment. Wait here."

The four of them stood while Chitori disappeared, giving Kakashi the opening to create a clone to leave in his stead as his real self hid in the shadows.

Kinuko could feel their eyes on her, but she knew it unwise to say anything at all for fear of breaking her guise. It was only seconds before Chitori re-appeared, a scroll in hand which he outstretched, "This is the one we agreed upon."

Kakashi and Chitori switched scrolls, Kakashi opening it to inspect and closing it. "Hai."

Chitori motioned them with his hand, "My guards will see you out, I have important business to attend."

In one fell swoop, Kinuko was back over his shoulder, headed to his room on the second floor. She managed to give them a real, reassuring smile from her position over his back before they walked off.

* * *

"Neji, what's going?" Naruto, Sakura, and the clone Kakashi all had appeared next to Neji as soon as they had exited the compound.

"Kakashi has made it into the library and is working on getting them ready to travel. Kinuko is in Chitori's room."

Sakura cringed in worry, "Is she ok?"

Neji steeled his jaw, remembering Kinuko's request to trust her, "The mission is going as planned."

* * *

When Kinuko made it to Chitori's room, he immediately tossed her onto the bed. "What's your name?"

She settled on the bed and sat up, "A…Aiko."

Chitori grinned and gripped her hair harshly, "Well little Aiko, you seem unaccustomed to my needs, and we can't have that. All my whores must address me appropriately when speaking."

Kinuko rattled her brain, she hadn't come across this in her research and gave it her best guess. "My apologies, master."

Chitori threw his head back and laughed and followed it up with a backhand across her cheek, her lip starting to swell and her cheek turning red from the sting.

"Nice try, but I prefer sensei, seeing as how I'm going to teach you all sorts of new things."

Kinuko feigned a look of innocent surprise and then Chitori suddenly turned his back on her, "Remove everything. Your skin is too delectably pink and untouched, we must change that."

Kinuko bit her tongue, waiting for the opportunity to strike to present itself as she mentally said her mantra to help her endure, 'I am in control'.

She quickly tugged off her boots, underwear, and corset, crossing her arms over herself to keep up the guise. When Chitori approached her, he had a cat-o-nine tails in one hand and a leather strap in the other.

* * *

"Neji, is she OK?"

Neji grit his teeth, wishing Naruto would shut up. He was having enough trouble not wanting to throw up at the way a comrade was being treated and struggling with holding back on storming the compound to have to worry about lying to the rest of the team.

"She hasn't given the signal that she's in trouble."

So, he couldn't flat out lie. The words just wouldn't come out of his mouth. Sakura noticed the look in his eyes and the set of his jaw, and she knew that whatever Neji was watching was in fact, proving that Kinuko was not entirely OK.

* * *

Kinuko cried out for the fifteenth time as the whip came across the back of her thighs, her arms suspended to the ceiling. The cries had started out as the pleas of her acting as the innocent newbie, but they soon turned into authentic cries of pain as the strength of his hits increased with his chakra laced whipped, riddling her back, her rear, her thighs, and even her feet in pain. Chitori was indeed a sick man and she would take great pleasure in killing him.

By the twentieth strike, he had stopped, and she could feel trickles of blood running down her skin. She sucked in a few deep breaths, thankful that he had stopped and wondering when she was going to get close enough to kill him. She was very, very ready to kill him. A traditional cat-o-nine tails was painful enough and she could have handled it, but his chakra running through each strand was tearing her apart.

He approached her, slipping the black leather strap around her neck as he tightened it like a noose. He buried his face in her hair as he choked her, "You liked that, didn't you little whore?"

Kinuko was struggling to remain conscious but managed to choke out, "Hai, sensei."

He released the strap and moved to her front, trailing his hands over her breasts to grope at them roughly. She coughed in a few breaths and let out a strangled grasp as he thrust two fingers in her, simultaneously gripping her hair and tilting her head up to him. She looked him in the eye and licked her lips, silently willing him to come nearer. As her tongue darted across her mouth his eyes followed it and he pulled in for a bruising kiss.

She smirked, she had him. Her bloodline limit activated and quickly Chitori pulled away from her, gripping his throat.

She glared at him in satisfaction, "Go to hell, you son of a bitch."

And then he dropped to the floor, eyes lifeless as his final breath left him. Kinuko sighed in relief and then re-focused, gathering chakra in her arms and giving a quick tug to snap the restraints. When her feet hit the floor she hissed in pain and stumbled, but quickly regained her footing despite the pain radiating down her back.

She picked up her clothes and sat them on the bed, moving into Chitori's bathroom to quickly try to wipe away as much blood as she could off her back and legs. Her wounds were still bleeding slowly, but she had at least cleaned up some of the blood. Satisfied, she slipped her outfit back on with a cringe as the tight corset pulled at her wounds and slipped into the hall. It took quite a bit of her concentration and will to ignore the pain.

* * *

Neji turned to Kakashi's clone, "The target has been eliminated. Kinuko is on her way to you and has just reached the subbasement door. Prepare to leave. It looks like your best exit is from the roof on the South side." Kakashi's clone disappeared at the news.

* * *

Kinuko slipped into the library to find Kakashi casually lounging against a desk, the walls of the library completely bare.

"Did Neji find a reasonable exit for us?"

Kakashi pushed off the desk, "Hai, the South side of the roof."

Kinuko nodded, "Put on a henge to look like one of his guards in case you're spotted. I can't henge or they'll notice my chakra use, we'll have to hope they didn't see me with Chitori earlier."

Kakashi nodded and did as told, his clothing henged to look like the guards and his hair changing to a less noticeable black.

"Can you really be sneaky in those?" Kakashi smirked and pointed down to her high heeled boots, trying to make light of the situation.

Kinuko glanced down at her shoes and then just turned around to prepare to leave, "I can't take them off, my feet are bleeding profusely and I'd rather not leave a trail behind."

Kakashi clenched his jaw when she turned, her back welted and bleeding from shoulder to calf, and from her words, he guessed her feet as well. "Kinuko…"

She didn't want to talk about it right now, she couldn't, it was taking a lot of willpower to stay calm and in control and keep her pain beneath the surface so they could make it out of the compound alive.

"I'm fine. Let's move."

Kinuko slipped out and Kakashi was quick to recover behind her. They made it to the second floor without a hitch, but their luck had soon run out. Coming out of the stairs to reach the third floor, they spotted some of Chitori's men coming out of a room and heard the stairway door close beneath them, indicating someone was coming up the stairs. Kakashi pulled Kinuko behind him, ready to fight, when Kinuko tugged on his arm and pushed her tattered back against the wall.

She whispered as she pulled him against her, "I'm sorry, just play along."

She wrapped one leg around his waist and tangled a hand in his hair, silently apologizing again as she tugged his mask down and immediately pulled him into a kiss, moaning loudly behind the kiss to help put on the act. Although, it wasn't entirely hard to act as Kakashi's mouth was warm and soft, and he was an incredibly attractive man.

Fighting through the pain in her back was about the only thing that kept her knees from buckling in real attraction. Kakashi had quickly caught on to her cover and gripped the leg around his waist in one hand and her face in the other.

Kinuko saw through half lidded eyes one of Chitori's men walk past them and smirk to himself, "Can't even keep it in your pants long enough to make it to a room."

Kinuko watched discreetly as he left to walk out to the third floor, the door closing behind him. She dropped her leg and released Kakashi's mouth, pulling his mask back up for him and letting her hand linger on his once again mask-covered face to further convey her words, "I'm sorry."

Kakashi smiled under the mask and gave her a soft eye crinkle, "It was a much preferable alternative to starting a fight."

Kinuko smiled back at him as he stepped away from her, but her smile faltered and turned to a grimace from the change in pressure against her back. Kakashi's face tightened and his eyes suddenly held a scary intensity, "We're almost there."

Kinuko nodded and took in a shaky breath as Kakashi turned and peered out the door. "Clear, let's go."

They didn't make it halfway down the hall when they were approached, the guard that had passed them in the staircase pointing at Kinuko with another guy to his left, "I knew you looked familiar. Chitori doesn't let his whores leave so quickly and in quite good condition. Fucking spy!"

The man started to form seals and all in a flash Kakashi's henge dropped and he was behind one guard slicing his neck while the other guard moved to attack Kinuko with a katana in his hand. She parried and swatted at his wrist to deflect his blows, but Kakashi was so fast the man suddenly joined his comrade with a chidori through the chest.

They heard footsteps and yelling coming up the stairs, and as they moved to jump out the nearest window, they heard a loud boom outside, indicating that Sakura had already moved in on the compound and was taking down the wall. Kakashi knocked out the window and he could already see clones of Naruto storming the building with rasengans.

Kakashi gripped Kinuko around the waist and jumped, both of them pouring chakra in their feet to absorb the fall. Fighting could be heard all around them, but Kakashi focused on moving through the chaos with his arm still around Kinuko whose steps were faltering as she ran, running towards the tree line to meet back up with Neji.

They escaped without resistance, Naruto's clones taking care of giving them cover and providing an adequate distraction.

"Kakashi, Kinuko!" It was Naruto yelling at them as they approached, Neji, Naruto, and Sakura already waiting for them.

"We have to move North, if they start to trail us we can't lead them back towards our direction home."

Everyone nodded at Neji's leadership and they took off, Kakashi still supporting Kinuko with one arm when the pain in her feet caused her to stumble.

Sakura ran next to her, "Kinuko, as soon as we stop I'll heal you, don't worry, hang in there."

Kinuko nodded and smiled, "Ariagoto, Sakura. I'm fine, do not worry."

Naruto, who was heading up the rear of the group, knew that wasn't true as well. He cringed at the sight of her back. She looked like she had been tortured for information. He seethed inside. They traveled for another hour before feeling safe enough to stop, Neji had led them to a river bank that had plenty of tree coverage.

When they stopped, Sakura was immediately at Kinuko's side, pulling her out of Kakashi's grip to lead her next to a soft spot on the ground, "Can you sit down to let me heal you?"

Kinuko looked up into Sakura's bright emerald eyes that were full of concern, "On my stomach would be better, but I need to get this corset off and my shoes."

Sakura nodded and looked at the back of her corset, noticing the blood had turned into a sticky paste and she wouldn't be able to remove her top without pulling skin with it.

"Naruto, fill up a bowl of water. Neji, get her clothes from her pack. Kakashi, get me a blanket."

Sakura moved to her feet, "Hold on to me if you need to, I'm going to take your shoes off."

Kinuko nodded quietly, lifting her foot up as Sakura untied the boot and slowly pulled it off. She grimaced in pain as she slowly set it down on the ground to give Sakura her other foot. After both bloodied shoes were off, Kakashi had given Sakura a blanket which she had laid down on the forest floor. Kinuko immediately dropped to her knees on the blanket, relieved to be off her feet.

Neji had her clothes piled neatly on top of her pack next to Sakura, and Naruto was holding out a basin of water for Sakura. Sakura immediately began squeezing the water with a rag over Kinuko's back, trying to separate her skin from the top. Kinuko unclasped her corset in the front as the men respectfully looked away, Sakura finally able to peel the top off her back. Kinuko collapsed face down on the blankets.

"Kakashi, get me the peroxide."

Kakashi did as told, handing the bottle to Sakura as she poured the liquid first over Kinuko's back. Kinuko sighed in relief when she felt the warmth of Sakura's healing chakra.

Kakashi and Naruto's head popped up from the scene when they saw Neji's head whip up and focus in the direction behind them.

His byakugan was activated, "They've been tracking us. We've got 6 incoming, strong chakra signatures. Sakura, get Kinuko up, we're going to have to engage."

Sakura nodded, moving quickly to pour peroxide on Kinuko's feet and send a blast of healing chakra into the wounds. Kinuko immediately moved to her knees grabbing her ANBU clothes and quickly pulling the black fitted shirt over her now healed back. Sakura was ready to help her, holding out her black ANBU pants, black sandals, and her katana to which Kinuko slipped into quickly and strapped the katana to her back.

"When we get to safety, I'll finish the healing on your legs."

Kinuko nodded, "Thank you, Sakura, I'm already feeling near normal again."

Kakashi drew a kunai and hopped into the trees, Naruto doing the same. Sakura, Neji, and Kinuko stayed on the ground. Seconds past and the tracking group attacked, a rock jutsu raining rocks down on the group. Neji shielded the three of them on the ground with his Revolving Heaven jutsu, creating a barrier around them.

Five against six was awful odds for the tracking group, considering they had the kyuubi container, the great copy Ninja, the Hokage's apprentice, and two seasoned ANBU to fight off. The battle was short-lived: Sakura broke one shinobi's neck with just one punch, Neji shut down one's chakra network with his 64 palm jutsu and finished him off with a Kunai, Kinuko released a poison jutsu on her target that had the man gasping, blood bubbling up out of his mouth until he lay dead on the floor, and Kakashi and Naruto dispatched the remaining 3 ninja with a chidori and Rasengan.

They all re-convened on the forest floor, "We need to continue to move in case more come to look for this group. We'll continue traveling North into the early morning and then rest. We will need to take an alternate route home to make sure we steer clear of any further run-ins. It will take us a few days off course, but I imagine we should be back to Konoha within the week."

Everyone nodded in agreement, "I'm finishing my healing on Kinuko first and then we can move. She isn't going to be traveling all through the night with these cuts on her legs. You guys stay here, I'll take her back to the edge of the stream and we will be back in a few minutes."

Kinuko grabbed her pack and the blanket from the forest floor, following Sakura to the stream. Kakashi looked at Hyuuga and an unspoken agreement passed between the two, and with a nod, Kakashi was in the trees to follow the two kuniochi to watch their backs as they worked. He situated himself close enough that that were in his line of sight and he could hear them, but far enough that he didn't make them feel smothered.

Sakura took the blanket from Kinuko and spread it on the ground near the bank as Kinuko began taking her sandals, pants, and white frilly blood soaked underwear off. Kinuko stepped into the shallow stream, splashing the water up onto her lower half to try and clean up the residual blood. Satisfied, she walked back over to the blanket and lay back on her stomach.

Sakura began healing again, the warmth of her chakra relaxing Kinuko. "Kinuko-sama…are you OK?"

Kinuko hummed in content, "Yeah, after your first healing session I was already feeling much better."

Sakura shook her head, though Kinuko couldn't see it. "Kinuko-sama, that's not what I meant…are you…OK?"

Kinuko realized her intent behind the question and folding both hands under her head, she rested the side of her face against her hands as she looked at Sakura solemnly, speaking lower than usual, "I'm as OK as can be expected, Sakura. It wasn't as bad as things I've endured in the past, I will recover and I will move on."

Kakashi, who was in the trees, listened intently to the conversation, his heart aching at the woman's pain.

Sakura could see the pain behind Kinuko's hazel eyes, the pain that was behind the smile and confidence she had seen Kinuko adorn. "If you want to talk, I will listen and lend you a shoulder. You don't have to endure this alone. We are ninja, and no matter what our mission, it isn't always easy and sometimes we just have to get it off our chests. I know you've done this alone for a long time and carried this burden on your shoulders, but you don't have to do it alone anymore."

Kinuko's eyes welled with tears, moved by Sakura's words, who paused in her healing and placed a comforting hand on Kinuko's shoulder. Kinuko smiled through the tears, "Tsunade was right you know? She told me how good that you all were, and how big of a heart you have. Neji said nearly the same words to me you did last night."

Kinuko shook off her tears and reached up and gave Sakura's hand a squeeze. "Thank you. You're right, it's definitely a burden. A burden I have carried for many years with few who have understood. It's part of the reason why Tsunade approached me with the idea of working with you guys. She knew…she understood…this weight…this…pain, was eating me up."

Sakura continued her healing, listening with a heavy heart as Kinuko continued. "The older I've gotten, the more my eyes have opened up and the harder it has become to do what Leaf village has trained me for. I never wanted this life. I wanted to be on a team, to have friends, to go on stupid D rank missions as a kid and learn and fight with fellow shinobi. But I've accepted my upbringing, I now only wish to change my future course."

Sakura smiled sadly, their village had hurt so many people in their endeavors to train the best shinobi and keep the village safe. All the people she cared about had suffered: Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, and now, Kinuko. She couldn't help but care for the young woman who was so kind, lively, confident, and yet was hurting underneath it all.

"You will change your course, Kinuko, and we will help you, I promise."

Kinuko smiled at Sakura again but sighed as well, "Ariagoto."

Sakura finished her healing and Kinuko reached for her pack, grabbing a plain black thong out of the bag and slipping it on, pulling her pants on as well. She sat on the ground to put on her sandals, her mind still reeling.

Sakura put her hand on her knee, "What else is bothering you?"

Kinuko sighed heavily again as she strapped on her sandals, unsure if she should speak or not.

Sakura smiled softly, "Hey, whatever it is, it's OK."

Kinuko nodded, staring off into the water as she leaned back on her hands, "I've gotten older, and I see people in love now and I look at them with longing. I started wanting that for myself. I'd never thought about it before, what with my specialty and all, I always assumed that no man would ever accept me for what I've done. But, it's been a thought I can't shake, a longing I can't stop. And it started to make my missions harder, my heart heavier. I've become delusional and truly have started to believe that I'll have what all those happy couples have and it's gotten in my head so much that it's really started to screw up the control I have."

Kakashi, who was still listening, couldn't help but frown in sorrow for the woman who was so lost. He didn't expect, however, to hear Sakura screaming.

"KINUKO DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT, YOU HEAR ME!"

Kinuko back pedaled on the ground in shock, clearly seeing her friend Tsuande coming out in Sakura in all her rage.

Sakura lowered her voice at Kinuko's reaction, "Look, you're beautiful, funny, confident, kind and honest. A man is going to fall in love with you and not judge you for your past. We are kuinoichi, Kinuko, our jobs aren't easy and we do things we don't want to. A fellow male shinobi will understand that. Don't think that about yourself, everyone has the opportunity to fall in love if they let themselves."

Kinuko's eyes were wide in shock and then she just started laughing, "Kami, Sakura, you really are Tsunade's apprentice. Hai, Hai, I've heard you loud and clear."

Kinuko pulled the blanket off the ground, shook it out and folded it. She placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder when she stopped laughing, smiling at her, "Ariagoto, Sakura."

Sakura smiled back, "Anytime you need a good yelling at, you let me know."

Kinuko laughed and took off in front of Sakura, "You're starting to sound like Naruto."

Kakashi turned to watch Sakura's reaction as her face turned red in anger and Kinuko just laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I definitely don't own, just playing with characters. I love all of the Akatsuki and hated to make Deidara such a really bad guy, but I kind of had to. Kisame, however, I feel that he is probably a little more mentally stable and honorable. After fighting with Itachi for so long, I'm convinced he had to pick up some honorable traits...  
**

* * *

They traveled in silence until daybreak, Neji had finally stopped pushing them so hard and decided that they had put enough distance between them and the compound.

"We will set up camp here, the cave should provide adequate shelter and cover. We are near the border of Rain, and we can't be too careful, so I want us to take shifts of lookout, two at a time. I'll need one of you scouting the perimeter constantly and the other on watch. We need the extra eyes so close to enemy territory. Naruto and I will take first watch, Sakura and Kakashi on second watch. Kinuko you have the night off, you need to rest and heal to continue traveling."

Kinuko opened her mouth to argue but Sakura nodded in agreement with Neji, "Hai, my medical jutsu did most of the work, but your body is exhausted from the repair. Get some rest."

Kinuko clenched her jaw and her eyes flared with suppressed anger, "Fine."

Neji and Naruto took off to begin watch and scouting. Kakashi slapped Kinuko on the shoulder in a friendly gesture to which she responded with a tight smile before setting up camp.

Kinuko had passed out quicker than she had expected, but was woken up by the sounds of kunai clashing. On alert, her eyes flew open and she realized she had slept the whole day, the sun was beginning to set.

To her left was Neji, byakugan activated, and Naruto on her right, feet bouncing.

Kinuko immediately masked her chakra as Neji spoke "Akatsuki members, two of them. Kakashi and Sakura have them engaged. We got too close to their border. We need to plan a distraction to get Naruto out of here, we can't let them obtain the jinchuriki."

Kinuko nodded, the sleep quickly fading from her as she slid her katana on and quickly swallowed a soldier pill, handing one to Neji and Naruto as well.

"I can't let them fight alone, I have to get out there!"

Naruto poised to spring into action but Kinuko clenched his shoulder firmly in her hand, "We will all be fine, Naruto, but if they manage to capture you they will kill you. We need a plan, quickly. Neji, which members are they?"

"It's Kisame and Deidara. Kisame has his chakra sucking sword and Deidara is airborne on one of his exploding clay birds."

Kinuko thought quickly, if anything, she was good at distractions.

"Naruto, you need to create clones, plenty of them so that you get far enough away before they determine the real you isn't among them. They won't expect you not to show up to the fight, it is our largest advantage to get you out of here."

Neji agreed, "You're a day's travel at most from the Land of Lightning, get there and you will be safe under Killer Bee's protection. Get word to the Hokage. We will be right behind you. Go!"

Naruto seemed torn but did as told, taking off in one direction while hundreds of his clones joined the fight.

Neji turned to Kinuko, "We have the element of surprise. Sakura has engaged Kisame on the ground and Kakashi is fending off Deidara, but we have to be mindful of Deidara's clay bombs even as we step. Do you think you can get close enough to Kisame to defend with your katana and use your bloodline limit to bring him down? He's got too much chakra stored in that sword to try to outlast him, even if there are four of us."

Kinuko chewed her bottom lip at the thought and then nodded, "It's worth trying, can't say I've ever had to try and kiss a shinobi in the middle of a sword fight but I'll give it a shot."

Neji nodded, "Be careful."

They were off silently, going in opposite directions to approach their opponents.

Kinuko came upon the battlefield between Sakura, Naruto's clones and Kisame. The earth was destroyed all around the area due to Sakura's lethal fists which gave Kinuko plenty of hiding spots. She kept her chakra masked, trying to find an opening, watching Kisame wield the huge sword in one hand as Naruto's clones tried to pelt him with Rasengans. She gulped, silently drawing her katana, not realizing that in person, Kisame was really huge and so was the sword.

Sakura let out another earth shattering blast and Kinuko took the opportunity, using flying earth as cover until she was upon Kisame, but he was so fast he had blocked the attack even with the element of surprise on her side.

Their swords clanged in a spark, pushing Kinuko back a few feet and throwing her katana out of her hands. She spun into Kisame which he wasn't expecting, moving as fast as she could to press the length of her body against him, grab his startled blue face, and kiss him.

She was surprised she was able to land the kiss on his mouth, he was so much taller than her and incredibly fast for such a large shinobi. The kiss lasted only a couple of seconds, until she felt Kisame's free hand grip her hip and push her off of him. He chuckled and she quickly darted a few feet back in surprise, landing next to Sakura and grabbing her fallen katana.

"Well, I have to say, there is definitely a first time for everything. What were you planning to do, kiss me to death pretty little kuniochi?"

Kinuko locked eyes with Sakura in confusion as they heard yelling from above, "Hey! What the fuck, Kisame? I'm up here fighting Leaf shinobi and you are down there kissing the fucking kuniochi, yeah? Kill all these damn clones and get the kyuubi container and let's go, yeah!"

Kinuko took the moment to talk low under her breath, "Naruto is on his way to Bee, we can't let them destroy all of the clones too fast so Naruto gets enough distance between us. I need to switch opponents with Neji, it's either Kisame's shark features that are immune to my poison or the chakra in the sword burning off the poison, I'm no help to you with my skills. Can you hold out for a few?"

Sakura nodded, brow furrowed in anger as she tightened her gloves, "Oh yeah, I'm gonna wipe the ground with his fish ass."

Kinuko took the cue to dart into the cover of the trees as she used her ANBU signal to call Neji to her.

Within moments Neji was by her side, "Are you alright?"

Kinuko nodded, "You're hand to hand combat skills will better serve fighting Kisame. I was able to use my bloodline limit on him and absolutely nothing happened. If the poison from a deathly bloodline limit can't slow him down, none of my poison jutsu can, but I suspect Deidara isn't the same. Kisame is incredibly fast for someone so large, be on your guard."

Neji nodded, "Hai. Deidara is clever and will land a clay explosive on you the first chance he gets and it's so subtle you won't know until it's too late. Keep your chakra monitored and immediately rip off any foreign chakra you feel."

"Hai."

Kinuko watched Deidara on his bird, Kakashi and Naruto reigning down attacks on him until a Rasengan and Chidori tore a hole in the bird and it exploded in the air, Deidara coming to land on the ground. Kinuko took a deep breath and disappeared underneath the ground, coming out of the earth underneath Deidara and releasing a poison cloud jutsu from underneath him, grabbing onto both his ankles from her position underground to keep him submerged in the poison. She saw a tongue wag on his hand and an explosive jutsu flying towards her face just in time for her to pull out of the earth and jump backwards before it exploded. She wondered momentarily if she landed her lips on one of those mouths on his hands if the poison would absorb through his body the same way.

"You must be new to this ragtag group, yeah? So Kisame is greeted with a kiss and I get a poison cloud, kuniochi? That just doesn't seem fair."

Kakashi narrowly missed Deidara with a kunai as Deidara ducked out of the way. Kinuko checked herself for explosives but so far hadn't sensed any that landed.

"We can definitely even the playing field, handsome. I'm a lover, not a fighter. Come a little closer and I'll kiss all three mouths."

Deidara seemed stunned for a moment, dodging a Rasengan from Naruto's clone, before he chuckled.

"Damn kuniochi, you must think I'm stupid. You don't belong in this fight, Kisame might be too damn blind to have seen it but we all know this ain't your area of expertise. Get your pretty little ass out of here."

Kinuko faltered for a moment, but then suddenly his comments made her angry. She might be trained for seduction missions, but she was just as useful on the battlefield. She wasn't ANBU because of her looks nor her bloodline limit.

She had her clone attack him from behind, charging forward with her katana she had laced with a poison jutsu. She managed a swipe down one of his arms before an explosive threw her back. She heard him hiss, the poison working its way into his system and cutting off chakra networks in his arm. Kakashi took advantage of the distraction and lit up Deidara with a katon jutsu, but as soon as the fire hit, Deidara had implemented a substitution jutsu.

Kinuko immediately drew her katana and crouched low, one hand on the ground to keep track of foreign chakra signatures underneath her feet. Still not detecting any explosives and trying to pinpoint the real Deidara, Kinuko felt the breath knock out of her unexpectedly as an explosion near Kakashi went off in a large cloud of smoke and flames, throwing her into the air.

She felt an arm grab around her out of the air and set her on her feet, fully expecting it to be Kakashi she turned to find Deidara smirking.

"That fucking hurt yeah?"

Kinuko pointed her katana at Deidara's neck to which he clucked disapprovingly and pointed at her chest, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kinuko glanced down and saw a large clay spider adhered to her clothing over her heart. She sucked in a breath and glanced around to see where Kakashi had gone to which Deidara answered her wondering eyes, "Your masked friend is taking a little nap courtesy of my beautiful explosive art, yeah. He won't be joining us any time soon, little kuniochi, so I suggest you point that poisoned katana somewhere else before I make you explode all over this forest, yeah."

Kinuko focused her attention on Deidara and sheathed her katana on her back, clenching her jaw in anger at her predicament. "What do you want, Deidara?"

Deidara smirked, and in an instant had Kinuko pressed up against the tree as she struggled, the arm she had sliced obviously weak under her protests, "You're a feisty little bitch, yeah, and my arm fucking hurts and I just got this thing replaced! Stop fucking struggling!"

In the distance a trap explosion of Deidara's detonated, which reminded Kinuko that he could do the same thing to her within seconds. She tried to calm down and look for Naruto's clones.

She felt Deidara grab her chin and breast roughly and her eyes shifted focus quickly back to Deidara, "What do you want from me?"

Deidara leered at Kinuko, and she recognized that look from other men. It was the look of a man who liked to dominant a woman forcefully, to make her feel pain and to suffer. She had seen that same look in the eyes of her previous target.

"Oh little kuniochi, I think you know what I want. You fucking hurt me, and now I want you to pay the price in a way befitting of your trade, yeah. And if you try and fight me, I'll fucking blow you up in beautiful little kuniochi pieces."

Kinuko bit her tongue to the point she swore it was bleeding, tears gathering in her eyes. She wasn't on a seduction mission, she hadn't prepared for what this man was going to do to her. She wasn't undercover with all the cards in her own hand, with the promise that she was going to destroy her target and seek retribution.

She felt her fitted ANBU top tear down the middle, her breasts exposed to the cool air and the clay spider that had been on her clothing moved to lay on her skin under her left collarbone. She gritted her teeth and tried to prevent the tears, but they fell down her face in parallel streams. She felt Deidara's forearm cutting into her windpipe as he pressed her into the tree with his arm, her face forced to turn sideways as he squeezed at her breasts with his other hand.

Emerging from the trees she saw the massive form of Kisame, his sword slung over one shoulder. She sucked in a breath, _How much worse could this have possibly gotten?_

Kisame emerged from the battle victorious over the two Leaf shinobi, having left both of them knocked out on the ground after he had figured out the real Naruto wasn't amongst the clones he had destroyed. He was on his way to aid Deidara when he locked eyes with the kuniochi who had kissed him, tears streaming down her cheeks as his teammate was forcing himself upon her, her top torn off and a clay explosive nested under her collar blade.

His blood raged as he rushed upon the scene, "Deidara, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Kinuko was shocked, she hadn't exactly expected Kisame to try and come to her aid.

Deidara stopped what he was doing but left his forearm pressed against her throat, turning to address Kisame, "She poisoned my fucking arm with her katana, yeah, I'm getting my payback."

Kinuko watched as Kisame sneered, stopping to stand a couple feet away, "You planning on raping a woman for besting you in battle? Maybe instead you should work on your evasive skills and maybe have some honor. Get that fucking explosive off of her before you blow all of us up and let's get out of here, the kyuubi container isn't really amongst them, the real one is long gone. I knocked out the other two Leaf shinobi so they won't try to follow us, but we need to report back to Leader."

Deidara narrowed his eyes at Kisame in anger and turned to Kinuko finally, taking his anger out on her as he moved his forearm to squeeze her throat and wrench her face to his as his free hand pulled the explosive off and tossed it into the forest with a 'boom'.

"I'm gonna remember your pretty little face kuniochi."

It happened faster than she was prepared, Deidara moved in for a quick, bruising kiss, catching Kinuko off guard. She activated her bloodline limit as quickly as possible but then Deidara was pulling off already. She watched him smirk at her and then suddenly his eyes rolled and his hands lost their grip on her. She took the opportunity and raised her foot up and kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying a few feet. He landed in a heap, not moving to get up.

Kinuko turned to Kisame quickly, moving one arm to cover her exposed chest and the other hand reaching out in a pleading 'stop' sign.

"I promise I didn't kill your teammate, he should only be out for an hour, three at most. I won't put up a fight, you can take him and go and I won't pursue, you have my word."

Kisame watched in interest at what had unfolded before him. They had fought four of Leaf village's shinobi and the pretty little kuniochi was the only one left standing. Apparently, Deidara had greatly underestimated her in his fight and had paid for it. Kisame said nothing, but watching the kunoichi struggling to cover her full breasts and obviously scared for her life, his heart clenched. At the very least, he was a ninja who lived by a code of honor.

He sat Samehada down against a tree and unclasped his cloak. He pulled off the sleeveless black fitted shirt he wore underneath and held it out to her, "Here, cover yourself."

Kinuko watched with bated breath as Kisame sat his sword down in silence, staring at her with what she thought was sympathy. She saw him remove his cloak and her heart started to race, surely he hadn't stopped Deidara's attempts only to force himself on her. Within seconds his shirt was off and he was extending it to her. She looked at him confused, her heart still racing. "Here, cover yourself."

Her heart finally slowed down and she took the garment, turning her back on Kisame and pulling the shirt over her, the large top dwarfing her so she tied a quick knot in the bottom and turned back around.

She took a moment to look at Kisame in the silence, without the cloak she could clearly see the bulging muscles she had imagined he donned from carrying a sword so large. He had gills on his deltoids, his skin a light blue color she found interesting. He was huge, his stomach flat and ripped with muscles and he had probably half a foot at least in height on her. Between Deidara and Kisame, she was surprised he was the nobler of the two as he looked like he could have his way with just about anyone if he so chose.

She bowed her head and lowered her eyes, "Thank you."

His voice brought her from her thoughts as he chuckled, "So, I guess you were planning on kissing me to death after all, little kuniochi. I imagine if Deidara had held on a few seconds longer he probably wouldn't be waking up at all, am I right?"

Kinuko's eyes shot up to Kisame in worry, it was obvious he had carefully watched how Deidara had lost consciousness.

She took a deep breath, the cat was out of the bag as she jutted out her chin, "He would have deserved it, he's trash for what he tried to do. I'd be doing the world a favor."

Kisame just laughed, which she hadn't expected. She wondered if he held resentment for trying to do the same to him, "Thank you, for stopping him. I'm in your debt."Kinuko bowed her head again.

"What's your name, little kuniochi?" Kinuko looked up, not expecting the question.

She thought momentarily of giving him a fake name to hide her identity, but couldn't bring herself to be dishonorable to someone who had helped her maintain her own honor, "My name is Takora Kinuko."

Kisame smirked, "Kinuko, hmmm? You have an interesting kekkei genkai I've never seen before..."

Kinuko stared into Kisame's eyes, wondering what he was after with her just standing there chatting like they weren't enemies. Kinuko answered with silence.

Kisame pointed to Deidara's form, "Will he remember what you did to him?"

Kinuko followed Kisame's finger to see what he was talking about. Kinuko sighed, picking up her fallen katana and strap and slinging it across her back to busy her hands, "I would imagine so."

Kisame swung his coat back on and picked up his sword, heading towards Deidara's body, "A word of advice, watch your back, Deidara has a vengeful streak."

Kisame swung Deidara's unconscious body over his shoulder with ease, Samehada resting on his opposite shoulder, "Keep your word and don't follow, your comrades will live to fight another day." And then Kisame was gone.

She moved quick after those moments, gathering the bodies of her unconscious teammates and taking them back towards the cave where all of their food and shelter still lay untouched. She assessed their injuries, wrapping bleeding arms, hands, and legs with bandages and using what little medical chakra she could wield to try and close wounds. She was working on cleaning the last of the blood off of Sakura's forehead when Neji started to come around.

"Neji, it's Kinuko, don't sit up too quickly you've been unconscious a few hours."

She watched as Neji moved slower, pulling himself to sit up. She handed him a canteen of water and a hot bowl of soup she had made.

"What happened?"

Kinuko explained everything to Neji, leaving out parts of her conversation with Kisame, and then re-explaining everything again once Sakura and Kakashi woke up. After Sakura regained strength to heal everyone, they departed to the Land of Lightning to catch up with Naruto. After a day of weary travel, Bee and Naruto met them at the gates, Naruto shrieking at everyone for taking so long.

Kinuko again, had to explain everything that had happened to Naruto's waiting ears, to which he responded by clenching his fists in anger, "That Deidara, I'm gonna kill him!"

They left for Konoha the next day, Kinuko deep in thought by the events that transpired. By the second day of her silence, Sakura ran in time with her to see what was troubling her new friend.

"Kinuko, are you alright?"

Kinuko looked to Sakura, removed her ANBU mask and smiled softly, "If you mean about Deidara, yeah. I would say it's what I should have expected from Akatsuki, but that's not true, Kisame wouldn't have stepped in if that was the case. I'm trying not to think about Deidara, I was fortunate that the events were stopped where they did."

Sakura glanced at her friend as they continued leaping through the trees, "Then what's bothering you? You've been silent ever since we left the Land of Lightning."

Kinuko paused before answering, "I wonder if it will be the same when I fight other shinobi on the battlefield, if someone else will attempt what Deidara did."

Sakura's fists clenched, "I don't know, Kinuko. Neji shouldn't have asked you to use your bloodline limit during an Akatsuki fight, they are s-class missing nin and we had no idea how your technique would work. We're lucky you tried it on Kisame first rather than Deidara, I've always noticed Kisame pulls on his strikes and punches when he's fighting kuniochi, and I'm glad all he did was push you away. If that had been Hidan or Deidara, you might have lost your head or been tagged with an explosive."

Kinuko found that information interesting and wanted to learn more about the Akatsuki, "How many of them have you fought?"

Sakura thought for a moment, "We've encountered all of them in one way or another, except for the one they call Leader. Sasori was my first fight, the puppet master Grandma Chiyo and I defeated. Then there are Hidan and Kakuzu who are partners, the Akatsuki always seem to travel in pairs. Hidan's practically immortal we think, he calls himself a Jashinist. He's got a really bad mouth and he has a reckless fighting style, probably because he can't be killed as far as we know. He wields a huge scythe, like a grim reaper and he can look pretty damn scary when he uses some jutsu that turns him all black and white like a skeleton."

"What about the others? If I'm hanging around you guys it seems I need to know all I can if they keep coming after Naruto."

Sakura nodded in agreement and tapped her chin. "Kakuzu is creepy, you could pick him out of a crowd. His whole body is stitched up with some weird like strings or tendons, I'm not sure, it's just disgusting. He can detach body parts and still use them. Then there is Deidara, you've seen what he can do. Kakashi-sensei ripped his arm off at one point using the Sharingan, I don't know how in the world he got a new one. Deidara is all about his beautiful explosive art, he's definitely a nut case. His partner, though, usually isn't Kisame. I'm thinking since we were so close to the border perhaps they were dispatched or just roaming around the area, because usually Deidara is with a member they call Tobi."

"Tobi? I haven't heard of him before."

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, I guess he is new. He really doesn't fit in with the group in my opinion, he's always laughing, joking, and acting childish. He wears an orange mask with one eye hole and he's incredibly tricky. He's so fast and elusive, no one has ever managed to land a hit on him. Then lastly, there is Kisame and Itachi. Kisame doesn't usually pull out all the stops in one battle, his jutsus seem to be limitless. I've seen him flood battlefields in the middle of a dry field and of course, he was one of the Seven master swordsmen of the mist. They say his sword, Samehada, is sentient and chooses who can wield it based on their chakra, and apparently it's known to be the strongest of the seven swords. Kisame can summon 1,000 sharks, can fuse with Samehada to be undetectable to chakra scanners, and can trap people in water prisons. They call him the Tailed Beast without a tail; he absorbs chakra from his sword and it's virtually endless. I've asked Tsunade before about his appearance, and apparently his gills are functional, and he looks the way he does because Mist experimented on him as a child."

Sakura sighed, "And then, there is of course, Itachi. I'm sure him being from Leaf and a former ANBU, you probably know all about him. Whenever we've encountered him, he's held Kisame back from engaging with us and we generally avoid an all-out fight, and I don't know why. Itachi is an enigma, no one knows to this day why he did what he did."

Kinuko absorbed everything Sakura told her, "Thanks for the intel, I definitely need to practice with you guys on the training fields when we get back so we can learn to work together strategically. Your earth shattering technique worked great to shield me for a surprise attack, next time I need to implement a poison jutsu instead of throwing myself at a man to kiss him."

Kinuko laughed in good spirits and Sakura smiled and chuckled, "Yeah, the look on his face when you launched yourself into his arms was priceless."

They both laughed and Kinuko cheered up, drawing herself out of her negative thoughts.

They traveled back towards Konoha in friendly chatter throughout the rest of the trip. After arriving in Konoha, they all reported to the Hokage to tell them of the mission's success and their run in with the Akatsuki. During the de-briefing, Tsunade had a thoughtful look on her face that concerned Sakura.

After everyone was done, Tsunade spoke up, "Neji, Naruto, you are dismissed and I need you to find Sai and Yamato and tell them to report to my office immediately. The rest of you be back in my office in 15 minutes."

Everyone filed out, Naruto ushering everyone to Ichiraku's for a quick bite of ramen as he pushed off finding Sai and Yamato to Neji. After a quick lunch they said their goodbyes to Naruto and reported back to Tsunade's office, finding Yamato and Sai waiting outside as well.

"Enter!" Tsuande's voice boomed.

They all filed in, Kinuko giving a nod to Yamato and Sai in greeting.

Tsunade sat behind her desk tensely, "I have a mission for you. After these recent developments, I see an opportunity. We know, as Jiraiya is undercover in the Hidden Rain village, that the Akatsuki are protected behind its walls and you've confirmed that again by getting close to their borders."

Tsunade sighed heavily and glanced at Kinuko and then looked away, "Deidara is hungry for Kinuko's blood right now and will jump on an opportunity to attack her. We can't pass up this opportunity to draw out an Akatsuki member and take them down. But, at the same time, we can't be obvious that we are using her as bait and rush into their territory. It sounds like Deidara realized the type of work Kinuko did as soon as he saw her."

Tsunade looked back to Kinuko knowingly.

Kinuko sighed and Sakura looked between the two, finally catching on, "Are you kidding me?! Kinuko doesn't want to do those kind of missions anymore, Shishou! How can you ask her to do that, what was the point of putting her on our team only to toss her back into that!"

Tsunade slammed her fist down and the desk cracked, "SAKURA! Don't you think I know that?!"

Tsunade gained some composure and calmed down, "Kinuko, I'm sorry. I promise you this will be the last one."

Kinuko lowered her eyes and nodded, "Hai, I understand."

Tsunade went on to discuss the details, and the more she spoke the more betrayed Kinuko felt. _She promised me I didn't have to do this anymore, not after the last mission._

"There's a bar that Jiraiya confirmed the Akatsuki frequent on the outskirts of the Hidden Rain village. There is a hidden mist nin that is a regular there that has been abusing the dancers in private, one that Jiraiya wanted to personally take out but couldn't get close enough to him without revealing himself. I want you to use that mission as your cover until Deidara makes his appearance. The rest of you are probably wondering why you are here. Kinuko can't take out Deidara alone, but she can lure him to you. Sai you are an ideal opponent to face him in aerial combat, Sakura to battle him on the ground, Yamato if you can use your wood technique to give cover from explosions, and Kakashi to use your sharingan if there is no other way to destroy him. I think it's going to take all of you to take him down, but one less Akatsuki member is one less threat to this village and to Naruto."

Tsunade was met with silence, Sakura was clenching her fists in anger to try and keep her mouth shut and Kinuko stood still, anger, betrayal and hurt coursing through her.

Tsunade held a scroll out, "Kakashi, you will be acting as captain. Here's your mission scroll, I'll need you to depart in two days, it's a two day travel to the location. Yamato, I'll need you to place an emergency locating seal on Kinuko in the instance she can't safely make it to your location while trying to lure out Deidara. She'll need to be able to activate the jutsu quickly, so make it as simple as possible."

Yamato nodded and moved forward to Kinuko, "Where would you like it?"

Kinuko glanced up at Tsunade before answering, "Since I'll be saved no shred of decency, you'll have to hide it. I'll need it on the back of my head, can you do that?"

Yamato nodded, "Hai."

Kinuko turned around and split her hair down the middle, gritting her teeth when Yamato's palm slapped down on her skull to activate the jutsu. The stinging subsided after he let go and she turned and nodded to him in thanks as he showed her the hand signs necessary to activate the jutsu, "Cow, horse, tiger, bite my thumb, blood on my head, got it. If Deidara manages to bash my head in and I use the signs will it still work then?" Kinuko said in the most sarcastic, stinging voice she could manage.

Yamato's eyes went wide, "Umm….well, I suppose."

"KINUKO!" Tsunade yelled.

Kinuko bit her cheek.

Kakashi spoke up, "Is that all, Hokage?"

Tsunade nodded, "You're dismissed, but Kin…"

She didn't even get to finish as Kinuko's form disappeared in a flurry of green silk.

Tsunade bowed her head in defeat.

Sai broke the silence, "So, who's the new girl?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I promise there will be more Kakashi/Kinuko interaction soon, I just had to try and build some background for Kinuko's character first.**

* * *

Two days passed and no one heard from or saw Kinuko. Seeing as how they didn't know where she lived, it was hard to try and track her down to speak with her. On Sakura's request, Neji even visited the Takora compound but was informed that Kinuko did not live there. Sakura assumed that they would be able to talk at least during the four day trip, but apparently when they met at the gates on the morning of the second day, Kinuko had nothing but short responses to give.

Dressed in her usual ANBU gear she left her mask on the entire trip, and every time Sakura tried to speak with her, she sped up or slowed down to avoid Sakura. When she pulled ahead of Kakashi, who was acting as captain, his arm shot out to stop her.

"Everyone stop here, we are taking a break."

Kakashi didn't let go of Kinuko and instead kept a hold of her arm as he jumped ahead of the group with her in tow and fell down into a forested opening, "Take off your mask."

Kinuko just stared at Kakashi through the eyes of her raccoon mask, "I'd rather not."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, "I'm not asking you."

Kinuko snorted, "That's rich, Kakashi, coming from the ninja who is always covered in a mask. Maybe sometimes I have something I'd like to hide as well."

Kakashi's hand shot out lightning fast and pulled Kinuko's mask off, and simultaneously he lowered his own.

Kinuko clenched her jaw, unphased by the handsome face she had seen and kissed before, "What do you want, Kakashi?"

Kakashi's face softened at her red, swollen eyes with dark circles under them and her tear stained cheeks. "I understand the need to hide behind a mask, Kinuko. I've done things for the sake of the village that I wish I didn't have to. I've watched my comrades dies and wonder why I'm not dead too. I can't pretend I understand exactly what you are going through, but you aren't alone."

Kinuko clenched down harder on her teeth to try and bite back the tears and nodded, "Thank you, for reaching out. But, I can't face this right now, not until it's all over. I need Sakura to back off and I don't want to tell her that, she is only trying to help but I can't talk about this right now. I opened up before because I thought this was over. I can't let this pain in or I can't get through this, it's hard enough trying to shut myself down again after believing I'd really be part of a team."

 _And,_ Kinuko mused, _the nightmares are back now._

She sighed, she was exhausted since the news of the mission to Hidden Rain, her nightmares keeping her from restful sleeps.

Kakashi nodded and put his hand on Kinuko's shoulder, "That, I can understand. I'll make sure everyone backs off until this is over. But then, you know we are here."

Kinuko nodded and smiled weakly.

Kakashi held her mask out and pulled his back up, "Maybe one day we won't need these masks anymore."

* * *

Three days later found the group setting up their lure point and Kinuko departing to the bar. Half way to her destination she stopped at a grove of trees and pulled out her sealed scroll, summoning her bag. She quickly disrobed and stashed her mask, katana, and ANBU clothing discreetly in some bushes and grabbed some new attire from her bag. Pulling on a pair of grey tights that reached her knees, a pair of black tennis shoes, and a pink sweatshirt that she had cut off right under the breasts, she mussed her hair up and put on some light makeup. Thankfully, it was still daylight, and hopefully she would be able to get hired on for tonight's show. Kinuko sighed, slung her bag of goodies over her shoulder, and headed to the bar.

When she arrived, the bar was a lot nicer than she had imagined a place that the Akatsuki would have frequented. There were black leather booths along the walls, black tables and chairs with white tablecloths, and the main attraction of the bar, three large stages with stripper poles.

She sighed and headed to the bartender, "Hi there, I was wondering who I needed to talk to about getting a job as a dancer?"

The heavy set bartender looked her over and then pointed to a curtain towards the back, "His name is Sho, he's the owner, he interviews all of the girls. You'll want to talk to him. He should be back there."

Kinuko smiled, "Thanks!"

An hour later and a 5 minute strip show try out, Kinuko had the job to start the night. Since she was new, Kinuko didn't get much stage time, of which she was initially grateful since she hadn't spotted Deidara yet, but she had easily identified her mission cover target on the third night as he manhandled one of the girls and then paid for a private dance in one of the back rooms. The girl, Lolo, came back out to work the next day with bruises.

When Kinuko asked about it Lolo warned her, "He's a ninja they call Roi, he tips us really well but he's an asshole. The man doesn't understand 'no touching'. Just be careful if you aren't ready for him, he definitely thinks he is paying for more than a dance."

By the second week Kinuko was no longer on a try out period and Sho had put her on the stage as one of his feature dancers. Kinuko wasn't thrilled, but hoped that it would somehow lure Deidara out. When it was time for her to go on, she chose a dark green sparkly bra and thong set, did her hair down in loose curls with hidden senbon in the emerald flower clasp, and pulled on a pair of matching green sparkly platform shoes with the lowest heel being 3 inches that she could find . She finished her makeup and sighed, glancing at herself in the mirror and trying to toughen herself back up. _I'm falling apart. Get yourself together Kinuko and keep your eyes open or you'll find yourself blown to bits by that maniac Akatsuki member. You are in control._

Kinuko nodded to herself and slowly strolled on stage seductively to the slow music. She casually glanced around the room as she swung around a pole, trying to see if she saw the black and red clouded cloaks anywhere in the audience. She was trying to discreetly look at the occupants of the booth during one of her flips on the pole when she heard one of the bouncers shouting for her.

"Hey! Roi paid for a dance in the back, room 3, get your ass back there."

Kinuko's eyes widened and she realized she had danced her way over to Roi and had been in front of him the whole time. She put on a fake smile and nodded, easing herself down the stairs on the stage over to Roi. She led him to the room, and took a deep breath as she closed the door behind them, _I am in control. I can do this. Just don't kill this guy or I'm going to blow my cover._

What Kinuko hadn't noticed however, was the patron in a back corner booth hidden in the dark wearing a cloak with black and red clouds.

Kinuko started the lap dance, trying to put the grabbing hands to the back of her mind but she found it harder than usual. When Roi groped her breast roughly she was reminded of Deidara and she unconsciously slapped his hand away. Roi grabbed her hips and pushed her down towards his erection to grind against her, "You like it rough huh?"

Kinuko bit her cheek, "There's no touching in the private dances."

Kinuko tried to un-straddle him and pull off but his ninja strength easily overpowered her own and he held on.

Roi smirked, "All the girls know that doesn't apply to me. I'll pay you nicely, sweetheart, now what do you say about getting out of those clothes?"

Roi tried to pull her thong off and Kinuko finally snapped.

She grabbed his face between her hands and kissed him as hard as she could with all the poison laced behind her bloodline limit that she could manage. He started gurgling and she wrenched her body off of him and kicked him in the crotch with her high heeled shoe, "You fucking son of a bitch. You men think you can treat women like toys,"

She punched him in the face as hard as she could, "You think you can abuse us," She punched him again, her knuckles started to bleed, "You think you can use our body's" She kneed him in the stomach and then wrapped her hand around his already lifeless throat, "You are trash, you are scum! You are a disgrace to the ninja way. Where is your fucking honor?!"

Kinuko realized at this point she wasn't just yelling about Roi, but about how she felt about this entire mission and every other target she'd ever encountered. She kept pummeling him until she felt arms wrap around her from behind and she thrashed to get loose.

"Calm down, he's dead."

She sighed a bit in relief, she recognized that voice. "Kakashi…"

She relaxed in his arms as tears streamed down her face. Kakashi pulled her away from the carnage and moved to the opposite side of the room, turning her in his arms.

She looked up at him through her tears, "I've compromised the mission and failed. I'm so sorry."

Kakashi's heart sank as he hugged Kinuko tightly. _No,_ he thought, _it is I who am sorry that you've had to endure such horrors._

"The mission is proceeding as planned, Deidara was here tonight and is being watched by the team. I've been keeping an eye on you from afar, to make sure you were alright. When I spotted him here I moved in in case you ran into trouble before you could lure him out."

Kinuko pulled out of his arms and looked back behind her to the mess she had made with Roi, her adrenaline dropping as her bleeding hands started to ache. Kinuko looked down at her hands; they were covered in blood and probably heavily bruised.

Kakashi grabbed her hands gently, pulling out a bottle of water and a small rag and cleaning the blood off of her hands. "All I need you to do is hold your head high, walk out of here, create a scene at the bar that you can't stand this place anymore and you quit, and walk out with hopefully Deidara following so we can get some space between him and the civilians. After that, we will take care of him and this is all over, I promise. You've played your part in this mission, you don't need to worry about the attack."

Kinuko nodded, taking a deep breath as Kakashi passed the rag over her tear stained cheeks to try and help clean her face as well. She looked up at him, her bruised hand cupping his mask covered cheek, the gratitude in her eyes apparent as no words were spoken between them.

She straightened her spine, put on her best acting face, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Within seconds she had screamed at the manager about assholes trying to get more than they paid for and how she was fed up with the way she was being treated. One of the dancers had been ordered to give Kinuko her bag of belongings in the meantime, shoving it in her hands as she slung it over one shoulder, took off her shoes and threw them angrily at the bar, breaking a few bottles in the process, and then stormed out the front door. It was quite the exit.

Kakashi was watching from a distance as Deidara followed her shortly after, alerting the team through their coms and proceeding to follow as well. Once outside, Kinuko had immediately activated the jutsu on her head just in case, hastily pulling on a pair of cutoff black sweatpants, a green tank top and her tennis shoes, she moved in large strides to try to get Deidara as far from the bar as possible. He let her travel for about 10 minutes before he approached her, appearing in front of her causing her to backpedal a few steps.

He chuckled, "Now, what's a pretty little kuniochi like you doing all the way out here?"

Before she could even answer, her team's attack started with a flurry of kunais and a wood jutsu to ensnare Deidara's arms and cover his hands. Kakashi landed in front of Kinuko, jerking his head to the side to let her know that she was clear to back off and let them execute their attack plan.

She was more than happy to step out of the way. She moved into the forest, watching from afar as she leapt onto a tree and masked her chakra, hiding amongst the foliage. She watched in a blur as the team attacked quickly, they had obviously been practicing this plan of attack while she was working at the strip club. Minutes ticked by and everything went quiet, and she knew that they had succeeded. She could tell from her vantage point that the bomber's head had been severed and his hands both chopped off, watching as both Kakashi and Sai sheathed their tantos. She watched as Sakura poured an acid on the body, his form quickly melting into the earth as it sizzled away. A sigh of relief passed her lips as she leaned against the tree.

Sakura found her in the tree first and when Kinuko was brought from her musings by seeing Sakura, she smiled softly and jumped down to join her on the forest floor. Sakura was a bit sweaty and dirty, but she looked uninjured.

"The target's been destroyed. You ready to head back?" Sakura was being as gentle as she could, Kakashi having talked to Sakura about Kinuko's struggle during their mission.

Kinuko nodded, "I'm sorry, Sakura, about before. I wasn't trying to push you away, I still want us to be friends…"

Sakura pulled Kinuko into a hug, "It's alright, I forgive you and I understand."

Kinuko swallowed back her tears, her emotions were still running high.

Yamato, Sai, and Kakashi joined the women as they broke apart from their hug, all of them much sweatier and dirtier than Sakura had been, some with blood stains on their clothes but none looked injured. _Sakura must have healed them already,_ Kinuko mused.

Kakashi glanced down at Kinuko's swollen and bruised hands, "Sakura, do you mind taking care of Kinuko's hands before we head out?"

Sakura looked down at Kinuko's hands and grabbed them gently, healing them quickly as Kinuko let out a sigh at the warmth of Sakura's healing chakra. Once they were done, Kakashi led the team away from enemy territory. They traveled through the night until they made it out of Hidden Rain territory and back on the borders of Fire country amongst the thick foliage of the forest.

Even though Yamato could construct them shelter, they knew it was probably a bad idea to call so much attention to themselves so shortly after killing an Akatsuki member. So they opted for bed rolls amongst the forest floor, Sai taking watch as he set up some of his ink mice to watch the perimeter. Sakura handed Kinuko her pack and the group slept close together on the forest floor, all of them relieved that the mission was completed.

When morning came, Yamato passed out granola bars for breakfast and everyone ate quietly. Sai was looking at Kinuko intently though, and she finally met his stare.

He cocked his head to the side, "If you are going to be part of our team now, I think it is only appropriate if I give you a nickname."

Kinuko's head immediately turned to Sakura and Kakashi who both had face-palmed, Sakura grumbling, "Please, no Sai."

But Sai was determined, "I think I will call you 'Silky'."

Kinuko's brow furrowed and Kakashi chuckled, Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

Sakura looked to Kinuko, "My nickname is 'ugly', Sai is such a charmer. He said a book told him to use a nickname of the first characteristic that comes to mind when he looks at a person. At least yours isn't half bad. Confusing, but not horrible."

Kinuko chuckled, "Silky? Really? Why? That definitely sounds like it could have been my stripper name on this mission."

Sai smiled one of his fake smiles, "Because when I first saw you, you disappeared in a flurry of silk, and your skin looks very silky, unlike all other kuniochi I know. Like Sakura here, her hands are really rough and manly..."

Sakura had slapped Sai on the back of his head and the group just chuckled.

Kinuko started gathering her things and stretched, popping her back as she spoke to the group. "I think a vacation is in order."

Sakura nodded and Kakashi chimed in, "There's a bed and breakfast with a hot spring near Konoha, a few hours away. We could make a little…detour."

The kuniochi's faces lit up as they nodded, Sakura squealed in delight. They took off full speed after that, the kuniochi determined to make it to the hot spring before the day was over. They traveled hard throughout the day, running at breakneck speeds as Sai traveled above them on his ink bird.

It was three in the morning when they arrived at the bed and breakfast, everyone sweating, exhausted, hungry, and ready to sleep.

Kinuko put her hands on her knees as she took a breath, "We made it, finally. Thank Kami."

Yamato went into the inn to procure the rooms, coming out with a couple of keys. "Two cottages were all they had available, the ladies can take one and we will take the other."

Kakashi swiped the ladies' key before Yamato could give it to them, throwing his arms over Sakura and Kinuko's shoulders, "I don't think you ladies should sleep alone, you never know what evil lurks in the dark."

Sakura rolled her eyes and snatched the key away, "Nice try, pervert, we are heading to bed. See you guys in the morning."

Kinuko followed after Sakura, grateful they would be sleeping in a bed.

After a quick shower, Kinuko dried off and threw her naked body in bed, exhausted from the hard day of travel and the mission. She climbed beneath the soft sheets and quilt, tried to close her eyes and sleep, but found her mind racing.

She knew Sakura was in the room on the opposite side of the cottage, but she felt so alone. Even at the club, she had shared a room with a few of the dancers, and it kept her nightmares at bay. She tried to still her racing mind and reassure herself that she was safe, that she was in control, and that the nightmares were foolish for a kuniochi such as herself. With a gut full of resolve, she finally fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Half way through! Six more chapters following this one. I may take a break for a bit on the uploading and come back shortly. If you are enjoying it please review and let me know! :)**

* * *

It was a few hours before Kinuko shot up in bed with a sob caught in her throat, the morning rays of sunshine streaming through the window. She was sweating from a nightmare, the vision of old targets taking advantage of her creeping into her mind and twisting into horrible nightmares where she had no escape.

She threw back the covers and headed to the shower to cool off, realizing she wasn't going to sleep anymore. She rifled through her bag for clean clothes but found none, grabbing a laundry bag from the closet and stuffing it with her clothes to set outside for the guest room service to take care of. She threw the glittery bra and underwear away that she had worn the night before, wanting no reminder of the place.

Pulling on a thigh length white robe from the bathroom, she wrapped it around herself and called for room service. After ordering enough food to feed a small army, she tidied up the belongings in her bag until the food arrived. When there was a light rap on the front door, she helped in the man from room service as they sat all the food down on the kitchen table.

She gave him a small tip and he bowed out quietly. When the door closed to the front door, she dug in to the fruit and bread hastily, gulping down orange juice in the process. Mid-bite of a bagel, Sakura walked out stretching her arms, the same white robe around her as she looked freshly showered as well.

"Good morning."

Sakura smiled lightly and looked at their robes, "No clean clothes either?"

Kinuko smiled and chuckled, "No, I thought we could set them out for guest room service to take care of the laundry. I guess this will have to work, especially if you want to hit the hot springs this morning?"

Sakura nodded, sitting down and grabbing a piece of sausage and toast, "That sounds amazing, I'm so sore from running all night long."

Sakura ate quietly as she took in Kinuko's face, noticing the darkness underneath her eyes. Sakura frowned but stayed quiet, she didn't want to make Kinuko uncomfortable so early in the morning.

"I bet the guys are up, should we share our food with them?"

Right after Sakura had finished the question their front door swung open and their three teammates walked in all in white robes. The two women looked at each other and just laughed, especially with Kakashi's towel contraption around his face.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and smiled, his signature eye crinkle in place, "We saw room service leave so we thought we would join you for breakfast. You don't mind, right ladies?"

Kinuko and Sakura scooted closer to each other in their chairs to allow room for the three men at the table. Yamato quietly grabbed a few items and sat on the sofa while Sai and Kakashi joined at the small table. The men ate as they all made small talk, Kinuko surveying the three men and their mannerisms, rolling her eyes at Kakashi eating from underneath his towel.

He caught her eye roll and just winked at her to which she surprisingly felt her face heat up in a small blush. Her eyes widened and she looked down, taking a gulp of orange juice to hide her features. _When in the world do I blush?_

"So, Kakashi, I take it you've been here before, care to lead us to the hot springs?" Sakura's cheery attitude pulled Kinuko from her thoughts as they all stood to follow Kakashi.

They were out the door when he held a finger up to talk, "Oh, I forgot to mention that these hot springs are communal."

Kinuko just chuckled and turned to Sakura, "I'm sure he _forgot_ to mention that when he planned this little trip."

Sakura rolled her eyes at Kakashi's back, "He's such a pervert. At least Naruto isn't here, I'd be mortified."

Kinuko just smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. "Men."

They arrived at the hot spring, only two elderly male patrons in the water quite a distance from the entrance leaning against a few rocks under the shade of a tree. Their eyes brightened when they saw Sakura and Kinuko, to which Kinuko immediately noticed as she was surveying the area for potential threats.

She chuckled and Sakura looked up, following Kinuko's eyes, "Dear Lord, more perverts."

Kinuko patted Sakura on the back and smiled, "They're harmless old men, no chakra signature. This is probably the highlight of their week, two beautiful kuniochi stripping naked to join them in the hot springs, now civilians are fun to mess with."

Kinuko winked at Sakura as she watched out of the corner of her eye their three male companions shuck their robes and step into the water, their backs still respectfully to the ladies. They only had a rear view, but her eyes were glued to Kakashi's firm backside and his thick, legs roped with muscles as his form disappeared into the water.

Kinuko waved innocently to the two elderly civilian men and smiled flirtatiously while she loosened the belt on her robe as Sakura chuckled, "What in the world are you doing, you are going to give those men a heart attack and then I'm going to have to give them CPR naked."

Kinuko laughed and turned towards Sakura, her back facing the men as she slowly let the robe fall, "I'm clearing out the hot springs for just us shinobi, you'll see."

She raised her voice a bit, "Oh Sakura, let me help you with that, you've got that tie all knotted up."

Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion as Kinuko wrapped her arms around her from behind, her naked breasts pressing into Sakura's back as she untied Sakura's robe. "There, all better, here let me help you."

Kinuko slid her hands over Sakura's shoulders slowly, slipping the robe down and off her back.

They heard splashing as they entered the water, the two elderly men holding their gushing nose bleeds as they fled the hot springs. Kinuko laughed and Sakura finally started to chuckle, clearly not used to those types of pranks.

"I think you are just as bad as Naruto pulling pranks on people."

The women moved towards their companions as Kakashi gave his eye crinkle, "But a much more attractive version."

Kinuko smiled and put her finger on her chin in thought as she looked to the sky, "Hmmm, I don't know, Naruto's pretty sexy, those whiskers, those firm abs…" And Kinuko found her head under the water as she came back up sputtering. Kakashi was leaning against a rock with a smug look on his face as he pulled an Icha Icha book from nowhere and Sakura was laughing.

Kinuko splashed water at his face, to which he dodged, as she sidled up next to him in the water to sit next to him while Sakura moved near Sai and Yamato to talk to them.

Sakura had an inkling that Kinuko was interested in her sensei and was trying to give them a little space to talk.

"That wasn't very nice," Kinuko tried to hide her smile.

Kakashi flipped a page in his book, "Oh, hmmm, what oh I'm sorry my arm must have slipped."

"Mmmhmm. You going to take that stupid towel off your face?"

"I wouldn't want to scare the masses with my horrible disfigurement."

Kinuko chuckled in disbelief, "What disfigurement would that be, being terribly handsome?"

"I think it makes me look mysterious."

"Mysteriously stupid. It's a washcloth for crying out loud. Haven't your teammates seen your face before?"

Kakashi didn't answer and Kinuko just laughed in disbelief, "You are a walking contradiction my friend."

Kakashi knew what she meant, he was always supporting his teammates and wanting his team to be honest with him, not to hold back. He had done it with her on more than one occasion, but he wasn't one that shared easily. He hid behind his Icha Icha books and he liked it that way…

"Give me my book back."

Kinuko was lounging casually against the ledge, her neck and head the only thing above the water as she flipped the pages in Jiraiya's porno novel. She ignored Kakashi and turned her back on him when he tried to grab the book, a large smile on her face at what she was reading. Her sensei Jiraiya was such a pervert.

Kakashi tried another route than snatching the book from her, "Aren't you embarrassed to read such…intimate things from the mind of your sensei?"

Kinuko looked back at Kikashi and raised an eyebrow as if to say, _Are you serious?_

"Ok, stupid question given your…relationship."

She went back to reading the book until she finally had enough and handed it back to Kakashi and relaxed against the rocks again, "Why do you read them all the time?"

Kakashi smiled as he flipped the pages, "Haven't you heard, I'm Konoha's resident pervert."

Kinuko rolled her eyes, "I believe that considering how passionate you are about those books, but I can't help to wonder why. I mean, I have my guesses. It's my specialty, remember, to evaluate someone's sexuality to figure out how to appeal to them so I can ultimately assassinate them. I have a few pretty solid theories about you."

Kakashi was intrigued, and as he cast a side long glance at his companions he shifted in the water to move further away from their hearing. "I'm listening."

Kinuko moved with him underneath the shaded area the elderly men had occupied, sitting next to Kakashi on the natural rock formation as she turned to face him, her elbow resting on the ledge to support her face as she scrutinized the bits of Kakashi she could see.

She started with the most unlikely theory in her mind, "Theory 1: you read the books to give you a deeper insight into sex, positions, ways to pleasure your partner so that you can be the ultimately lady killer. You have trysts with random women and the books help you keep things interesting, giving you role playing ideas, tricks and tips. After all, I know Jiraiya, and Jiraiya has an arsenal up his sleeve."

She watched Kakashi's reaction and saw a tinge of red at his collarbone, her eyes flickering back to his one onyx orb, "But I was fairly certain that assessment wasn't correct. My second theory, and only other theory: You read the books to escape to a relationship you don't have, but want. You're Konoha's number one ninja, and the weight of that is heavy on your shoulders. You don't enter into relationships or trysts with women because you don't want to get close to someone. So those books, satisfy you on some level as a man, a man with wants and desires that he doesn't let himself have. But you still have those desires, and you can't lock them away as much as you've tried," she watched as his reddened skinned turned ashen, even in the heated springs and suddenly she tried to lessen his discomfort, "I'm not judging you, Kakashi, I'm the last person in the world to weigh in on someone's physical relationships or romantic relationships. I'm just telling you what I see, I wasn't try to scare you away."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, his Icha Icha book long forgotten on the edge of the rocks. He closed his eyes and slowly took off the wash cloth hiding his face, his back to his teammates in the position he was in as he voluntarily revealed his face to Kinuko.

She looked to him with questioning eyes. "You see things I intend for a mask to hide, there's no point having it around you. You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for."

Kinuko smiled and blushed at his handsome face, "I don't generally watch others that aren't mission targets as closely as I've watched you. I usually don't care what's underneath the underneath with other people, but you've…caught my eye. I know what it's like to put on an act for other people, Kakashi, and at the end of the day it hurts, lying to yourself. I know I can't help you change your mind or thinking about yourself in minutes, but I hope you'll take my words to heart. You're a good man Kakashi and you give your life to Konoha, you deserve to be happy and not always looking out for others happiness."

Kakashi nodded, his face set in a grim line with the corners down turned. Kinuko couldn't stand his sad face and reached out to touch the corner of his lip, "Hey, cheer up, you're on vacation after all with two beautiful naked women in a hot spring. I'm sure that's much better than Icha Icha."

Kakashi's face turned into a grin as his eye crinkled and Kinuko found the expression so endearing.

She handed him his wash cloth quickly, "your teammates are approaching."

He fixed the wash cloth on his face instantly and sighed a bit in relief at the mask that covered his emotions. One day, he resolved, he would be more open with his precious people, for now, he wasn't ready, he had lots to think about.

* * *

After the hot springs the teammates went their separate ways, Sai following the ladies to their cottage to play card games while Yamato and Kakashi left to their own cottage to relax.

After a few rounds of cards, Sai pulled out his drawing pad and stood from the table, "Kinuko, would you mind if I drew you?"

Kinuko smiled, "Not at all, where would you like me to pose?"

Sai looked around and then looked at Kinuko, "On your bed would work."

Kinuko chuckled and looked at Sakura with a raised eyebrow.

Sakura smiled, "He's harmless I promise."

Kinuko nodded, "Sure."

She went to her bedroom and looked around, realizing she was still in the robe. "I don't have any other clean clothes right now Sai…"

He nodded and closed the door, pulling a chair to sit in front of the light at the window, "That's alright, I would like to draw you nude if you are comfortable."

If it was anyone else, Kinuko would have thought they were trying to get in her pants. But with Sai, she knew he wasn't thinking like that. She dropped her robe and lay on the bed, not at all worried about her nudity, "Tell me how you want me to pose."

Sai thought for a moment as he tapped his pencil against his chin, scanning over Kinuko with calculating eyes. "On your side would show off your curves but it would put your breasts at a strange angle, how about on your stomach, with your knees bent and your feet crossed at the ankle."

Kinuko let him pose her, and ended up on her stomach like he requested, her arms underneath her head as she watched him sketch. She smiled, hoping that the young man one day would be able to open up with his emotions and undo the horrible trauma and teachings that Root had caused. Even though Danzo was dead, Sai was still suffering because of him and he didn't even know it. If there was one thing she hated, it was people choosing others fates for them.

She watched Sai's pencil move fluidly, his mouth tense every now and again as he would erase and start something anew. He was beautiful in his own way, and she admired that.

His face was handsome, and his stoic nature made him sexy, if only he could learn to interpret emotions better and use his sexy artist vibe to his benefit. Kinuko was certain he would be a lady killer. She itched to take him under her wing and teach him, if only to open up his mind and emotions to give the ex-Root member some shot at happiness and to act as a normal functioning man.

"Have you ever kissed a woman, Sai?"

"No, have you?"

"Yes."

Sai thought at first her question was to tease him, as Naruto often liked to make fun of him. Even though he didn't show it, deep down he wanted a bond with someone, and so he read his books and he tried to understand people's emotions, and it was…hard…when his readings got him nowhere but he was made fun of for trying. Only Sakura ever tried to help him, but now this woman before him was asking him what he understood to be a personal question and she wasn't trying to make fun of him.

"Why did you ask me that?"

Sai finished his drawing and Kinuko wrapped the robe back around herself, "Because, I want to help you. I see myself in you, a kid that was forced into a life they didn't want. I was forced to understand human emotion to be able to twist it and use my sexuality to kill, you were forced to live without emotion and use your lack of emotion to kill. Even with Danzo dead, you are suffering still and you don't even know it. I'm working on my path to undo the life I was forced into, I only asked because I thought maybe I could help you change yours."

Sai nodded and stared at Kinuko, "So you wish to kiss me?"

Kinuko smiled softly, "If you would like me to help teach you human emotion, I can try on the level I am most familiar with, human sexuality. I can teach you to feel and understand the most basic human desires, and in turn, hopefully you would be able to explore yourself with women and try and find someone you could have a special bond with, someone you could eventually love."

Sai's eyebrows furrowed, "But would this not create a bond with you?"

Kinuko's gentle smile remained, "I would hope, you would look at me as your sensei and your friend, that is the type of bond it would create. Not a lover, but a teacher and a confidant. Could you make that distinction?"

Sai thought for a moment, "Yes, I believe so."

"I'll give you a lesson tonight, if you would like, not crossing any major boundaries, but when we get back to Konoha, I'd need us to present the proposal to the Hokage and have us both sign a consent in front of her that I'm not taking advantage of you and that this is a willing student-teacher relationship."

Sai nodded, "That is acceptable. I do not believe you are taking advantage of me."

"Good, lesson one, sit on the bed and relax." Sai did as told, his art supplies long forgotten in the chair.

Kinuko kneeled down in front of him and took his hands, stroking small circles on the back of his hands.

"Touch between two people, can be so simple and yet convey so much."

She ran her fingers up his forearms underneath the sleeves of the robe, and then drug her nails back down. She repeated the motion a few times, then moved to his neck. She leaned in closely, caressing his short black locks as she ran her nose up and down the column of his neck.

"Just relax and breathe in, focus on my touch."

He stayed silent, and she could feel his body tense and relax in repeated succession. She ran her nose along his cheek until she was nose to nose with him, staring in his eyes.

She saw a flicker of something in the depths that wasn't in the almond shaped onyx eyes before, and so she continued.

She kissed his cheeks first, then his chin, and the corner of his mouth. She grabbed his hands and placed one of them on the back of her head and the other on the side of her face. She leaned in and caressing his black locks she captured his lips gently and she felt him respond tentatively. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and gently nipped at it, sucking it into her mouth. She felt the hand in her hair tighten and his mouth open, and she moved in for a deeper kiss, pleased that he was responding.

Naturally, she led the kiss, starting off slow as she let her hands run down his neck until she deepened the kiss, gripping onto his shoulders strongly as she pressed a bit more of her body against his as her tongue ran along his. He was learning fast and desire, one of the most primal urges, was still alive within him, it just had to be coaxed to the surface. She pulled back and placed gentle kisses on his lips, finishing as she had started, with kisses to his cheeks and her fingers running along his forearms.

"Sai, are you alright?"

Sai dropped his hands from Kinuko and sat them on his thighs, frustration evident in his eyes, "I don't know. I feel…"

He scrunched up his eyes and she stroked his face gently, rubbing at his temples, "Look at me."

He opened his eyes and stared into her depths, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes."

She was relieved at that, "Do you feel tense?"

"Yes."

"That's normal, Sai, it's frustration, sexual frustration. Did you wish to continue?"

His eyes lit up, "Yes."

Kinuko smiled softly, "Not yet, Sai, I want you to embrace what you are feeling. I want you to understand that what you felt was sexual desire, and when it was taken away from you, you felt frustration. Do you masturbate?"

"No."

"Well I'm going to want you to. I want you to familiarize yourself with your own body and learn to pleasure yourself, in private, do you understand?"

"Yes, but I never have the urge."

"Do you right now?"

"I don't know…maybe."

"Good, think about what happened today, and when you are alone, maybe in the shower," Kinuko leaned into his ear as her lips caressed the lobe, "Stroke yourself thinking about me, about my hands on you," she ran her hand down his thigh, "about my lips on you," she kissed underneath his ear lobe, "and about my tongue on you," she lapped at the earlobe and nibbled it with her teeth before releasing him.

"Can you do that?"

"Can I go right now?"

Kinuko smiled and pointed to her bathroom, "Be my guest."

He moved quickly into the bathroom, the tenting evident in his robe as she heard the shower turn on.

She felt like Jiraiya the pervert, teaching someone about their sexuality. At least, she was happy it wasn't going to be used to assassinate people and would only be used for the young man's happiness. This ex-Root member was a special case, and if there was one way to open him up to emotion, it was through one of the most basic male urges: desire.

Perhaps, when Jiraiya was back from his mission, he could give Sai a few tips on picking up women. She moved over to the sketch pad, flipping open to the drawing of her. She smiled, Sai was a great artist. She put the sketch pad down and heard the shower click off, Sai emerging shortly after in his robe with damp hair and a serene expression on his face.

"How do you feel?"

Sai paused, "Peaceful, sleepy."

Kinuko smiled and kissed his cheek, "Good, lie down and take a nap, I'll grab you when we head to dinner."

Sai didn't protest, laying down on her bed and passing out shortly thereafter.

* * *

At dinner, their laundry was finally done and they returned to their most basic shinobi clothing, all meeting up in the on-site restaurant for a meal. It was uneventful, and quiet, Kinuko gathering from Yamato's looks at her that he didn't quite trust her. She understood the sentiment, they didn't know each other and weren't comfortable sharing personal information. She got a strange vibe from him anyways.

"Silky, pass the dessert." Sai interrupted her thoughts and she grinned at the stupid nickname, already seeing a small flicker of emotion in Sai's eyes. He was a breath of fresh air.

"Sure thing." She winked at Sai and he smiled, what she guessed was a mix of a genuine and a forced smile.

Dinner passed by without further incident, everyone heading off to their respective cottages. Sakura bid Kinuko goodnight and they both tucked into bed, Kinuko trying to focus on something that made her happy to keep her mind from the nightmares. She thought about Kakashi, his handsome face, and his caring demeanor. He had shown so much gentleness when she was hurting or at a low point, he understood her. She only hoped he would come to trust her as well, and to share his pain with her. Kinuko rolled over onto her side, kunai under her pillow, as she smiled thinking about the copy ninja in a way she had never thought of another man before.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I know her friendship with Sai is a little...unorthodox, but if there was one way to actually get in touch with Sai's feelings and emotions on a basic level, I think desire might do the trick.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Once again, don't own Naruto. Enjoy!**

* * *

Kinuko woke up with a start as she tried to force the invisible hands off of her from her nightmare, her kunai flying through the air to land on the curtains. She was covered in sweat, again, and heaving from the memories that she relived that warped into inescapable nightmares.

She hung her head in her hands for a few moments, and then deciding she wasn't going to sleep anymore, she rinsed off quickly, wrapped the robe around her, and snuck out quietly to the hot springs. It was 3 in the morning when she had glanced at the clock on her way out, and no one occupied the water.

She dropped her robe and stepped in quietly, making her way over to darkened alcove that she and Kakashi had shared earlier that day. She sunk into the water, trying to relax her tensed muscles.

She wasn't sure how many minutes passed by before she heard a sound.

She opened her eyes and spotted none other than Kakashi dropping a towel from his waist to enter the water. This time, she had a full frontal view, and it caused her thighs to press hard together. His torso was as ripped with muscles as she had imagined, his pelvis shaped in a deep V leading to short white hair and what appeared to be a very heavy appendage between his legs.

And, he was without his mask. She gulped, the man was a walking god.

He stepped into the water and she noticed he was heading straight for her. His headband was missing and she could see the Sharingan glowing in the night, so she knew he had spotted her.

She never saw him expose the Sharingan like this, perhaps it was because it was night and no one was around.

She sat up, the water still covering the tops of her breasts but her shoulders out of the water. She felt like she was being stalked as Kakashi neared her, his mismatched eyes and spiky white hair making him look predatory.

She physically gulped and licked her lips at the same time. He came to sit next to her, noticing that the circles under her eyes had darkened from light purple the day before to nearly black.

"Can't sleep either?" She asked him.

"I've been asleep since after dinner. I'm well rested, but I heard the distinct sound of a kunai being thrown and thought I'd see what all the commotion was about. You don't look like you've slept since we've been here."

Kinuko sighed, wiping her face with one hand as she contemplated saying anything. "I'm fine."

"The curtain in your bedroom says otherwise."

"I just can't sleep is all."

"So you took it out on the poor curtain?"

Kinuko gritted her teeth and realized he was just trying to help, "Nightmares, night terrors, whatever you want to call them."

"Did something happen on the mission? I haven't noticed you having them before."

Kinuko shook her head, glancing at Kakashi's Sharingan bravely. She found it incredibly beautiful and the slow spinning of the tomoe strangely relaxing, "I have them sometimes, when I'm alone. I don't know why, they just come. Memories of things I've done, people I've killed, twisted into nightmares where I can't escape. Before the mission, and now, they've resurfaced. Not during, I slept in a room with a few other girls and it keeps them at bay for some reason, maybe it was my instinct to protect them that drove it away, or shit…maybe the longing for some human comfort. I don't know what the reason is, or maybe I do and I just hate to admit it, you know? We kill people for a living, I'm sure I'm not the only one that suffers with these…"

Kakashi kept looking at her from his perch as her eyes stayed locked on his, his hand reaching out to caress the side of her cheek and she relaxed into its warmth and closed her eyes.

Real human..she craved it, and the man that had been filling her thoughts was giving her a taste and just listening to her, letting her get it all out.

She covered his hand in hers and opened her eyes with a playful smile, "We have some messed up baggage to deal with don't we?"

Kakashi's lips turned up into a smirk and she really wanted to kiss him, "That we do."

She searched his eyes and couldn't read him, she was so good at reading body language and people's emotions but she couldn't tell at all if a kiss would be welcome or not. She had forced herself on him once before without his permission, she didn't want to do it again.

She didn't have to mull it over much longer when Kakashi's hand found her waist in the water and he pulled her against him, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt all her worries melt away in that kiss. She realized too, that they were both naked and he had pulled her flush against him, the hard planes of his body meeting her soft breasts and hips.

She threaded her fingers in his hair with one hand while the other massaged his scalp, the kiss deepening as his finger moved to grip her hip and the other buried in her hair. After a few moments, Kakashi pulled back, trying to exercise great restraint. He kissed her gently and tried to put a little space between them so he wasn't poking her with his erection.

She opened her eyes and smiled softly as they separated.

He caressed her cheek with a thumb, "Your exhausted and you need to rest. As much as I'd like to continue this, I want you to get some sleep before you collapse."

Kinuko nodded, grabbing his wrist from the hand on her face as she rubbed circles on the inside of the wrist, meeting his eyes, "I appreciate it, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

Kakashi smiled warmly, "I'll join you then, and make sure you get some rest through the rest of the night."

Kinuko smiled back, the lazy spinning of the tomoe in his Sharingan making her sleepy, "Are you doing that on purpose, to knock me out?"

Kakashi chuckled as they waded back to the entrance, "Doing what?"

"Spinning the tomoe in your Sharingan."

Kakashi smiled, trying to respectfully turn his back on her as she exited, "No, I can't turn it off."

She made a sound and looked at Kakashi's turned back as she grabbed her robe, "You don't have to be modest, trust me, I wasn't averting my eyes when you dropped your towel."

Kakashi coughed and grinned in confidence, his male ego definitely being stroked. He got out, grabbing the towel to cover himself to find that Kinuko had tied her robe back around her.

They started the walk back to the cottages, "It's nice, to see you so exposed. I hate that you have to keep your Sharingan covered, it's very beautiful. And of course, it's nice to see your face, because who wants to kiss masked lips?"

Kakashi smiled, his ego still inflating.

As he folded his arms behind his head with a cocky grin, he started, "You're brave to stare into the Sharingan so confidently."

Kinuko shrugged, "But it's YOUR Sharingan, I'm not worried, I trust you. One could say you're really brave to kiss a woman whose lips could kill you in seconds."

Kakashi shrugged back, "I guess you have a point."

They arrived back at the cottages and Kakashi quickly grabbed some clothes from his room before they snuck in quietly to Kinuko's cottage, heading to Kinuko's room.

She grabbed some old small sleeping shorts and a loose t-shirt, Kakashi turning around so she could change as he pulled on a pair of boxer briefs at the same time.

He moved to sit in the chair next to the window and she rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand and leading him to the bed, "If I wasn't so tired, this is where we would have ended up anyways, just with less clothes and a lot more sweating."

She swore Kakashi blushed, but it was hard to tell in the dark. She kissed him lightly on the lips before she turned on her side, her back to him and her rear brushing against his thigh. He didn't trust himself to turn and hug her, afraid that he would sport an erection from the contact, so he opted for splaying his hand across her back, rubbing gentle circles on her skin to try and lull her to sleep.

* * *

When Kinuko woke, the bed was empty and light was streaming through the room. She rolled over to find a plate of fruit with a bagel and sat up, feeling hungry and well rested.

"Good morning." Kakashi was sitting in the chair next to the window, an Icha Icha book in hand, his shinobi gear on with his mask pooled around his throat, his headband down to cover his Sharingan.

Kinuko smiled at his charming smile, "Good morning. It's time to head out?"

Kakashi nodded, "It's close to lunch time, I've sent word to the Hokage that we would be arriving shortly and to expect us. We have a lot of research to do on the Akatsuki ring that Yamato is keeping sealed until we arrive."

Kinuko nodded, grabbing her pack and pulling out her ANBU gear while she scarfed down the fruit, "I'll be ready shortly."

Kakashi nodded and moved for the door, but Kinuko grabbed his wrist before he could walk out. She pressed up against him and kissed him, standing on her tip toes to reach his mouth. She ran her hands through his spiky hair, loving the feel of its thickness. Kakashi responded with equal fervor, gripping her hips and pulling her close against him.

They released each other, and she slid her hands over his jonin vest, hating that she couldn't touch him directly at the moment, "Thank you, for staying."

He nodded, kissed her on the forehead and left her to get ready.

The group all met outside the front of their cottage, everyone packed and ready to head out. Kakashi naturally took point, Yamato taking up the rear, with Sai, Sakura, and Kinuko in a triangular position in the middle, Kinuko on right flank. The three hour journey ended uneventfully, the Hokage and Naruto waiting at the gates to meet them. Everyone was on a knee as they greeted the Hokage, to which she quickly ordered them to stand.

"Everyone's safe, no injuries?" The Hokage looked over the group, focusing on Kinuko and momentarily softening her eyes in remorse.

Kinuko managed a small smile, understanding the position her Hokage had been in, nodding her head and closing her eyes to her friend to let her know that she was forgiven.

Tsuande's booming voice picked up, "Good, everyone to my office, now."

They all filed in, Shikamaru and Neji already inside the Hokage's office on her orders. "Yamato, seal the room, please."

Yamato went to work quickly, and within minutes, the room was safe from prying ears and eyes.

Tsunade stood behind her desk, "Alright, report Kakashi."

Kinuko watched on as Kakashi reported the details of the mission and its success, and how they were able to finally destroy another Akatsuki member. Tsunade gripped her desk in anticipation, "Alright, Yamato, let's see the ring. Shikamaru, Neji, come take a look."

Yamato pulled out the ring from a wooden contraption, laying the ring on the desk carefully.

Tsunade looked up at Yamato, "The seal remains on the ring for now?"

Yamato nodded and Tsunade responded, "Good, we don't know what this will do to someone who touches it that isn't an Akatsuki member. Shikamaru, I want you to lead the research on this and Neji to assist. Everyone in this room is sworn to secrecy about Deidara's death and everything else that's discussed, Konoha doesn't need retaliation from the Akatsuki. There were no traces, no remains?"

Sakura answered, "None, the body was fully disintegrated."

Tsunade nodded, exhaling a deep breath. "Good. Your all dismissed from duty for a week."

Tsunade shuffled some papers until she pulled a file and grabbed a stamp, slapping the stamp down on the top of the thick file.

She looked up at Kinuko, "Takora Kinuko, I, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, honorably discharge you from your duties as an ANBU seduction mission specialist. You are formally being demoted to jonin, and during the next semester of the Academy will have the opportunity to work as a mentor and sensei to the students."

Kinuko's eyes welled with tears, a burden lifting from her chest. She wanted to hug Tsunade she was so overcome with joy, feeling Sakura's hand squeeze her shoulder in support.

"Ariagoto, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade steeled her own face from emotion, knowing the horrors her friend had endured.

Kinuko gathered herself and spoke before they could be dismissed, "I already have a student, Hokage-sama, if you would hear our request and approve the pairing."

Kinuko looked to Sai out of the corner of her eye, Tsunade's eyebrow shooting up and glancing at Sakura, silently asking if it was her.

Sakura blushed and Kinuko caught the stare, smiling gently at the pair, "It is Sai that I have spoken with to take on as a student, Hokage-sama, and as this mentorship is of a personal nature, we'd like to discuss it in private."

Everyone in the room was quiet, but Kinuko could feel the shock in the room that it was Sai, the quietest of the bunch, that she had chosen to take on as a student.

Tsunade sighed and sat down at her desk, waving everyone out, "Alright, everyone else out, you are all dismissed."

Everyone filed out of the room, Sai and Kinuko remaining.

Tsunade looked up at the pair, hands in a steeple, "Knowing you, Kinuko, I have a feeling I know what this is about, but for the record, please state the intention and goals of this mentorship."

Kinuko nodded and looked between Sai and Tsunade as she spoke, "As you know, Sai is one of Konoha's great assets and is incredibly talented, and there is no tutelage I can provide him in the art of battle. However, as an ex-Root member, Sai's been taught to live without emotion and cannot understand or feel some of the basic emotions necessary to operate on a day-to-day basis. He has been forced to live a half-life, and I wish to teach him to open up and reacquaint himself with emotions long lost so that he is not just a weapon of Konoha."

Tsunade closed her eyes, thinking for a moment, and then nodded. "And I'm assuming, with your particular set of skills, this is to be a physically intimate student-teacher relationship?"

Both Sai and Kinuko answered, "Hai."

Tsunade pulled out a scroll and started writing, pausing to ask questions. "Sai, do you understand that in order for this tutelage to be a success, you must view Kinuko as your sensei and not become emotionally attached to her, that she will have physical relationships with other men in her personal life and your intimacy together is being used as a tool to learn?"

Sai nodded, "I understand, Kinuko is attracted to Kakashi-sensei."

Tsunade looked up to Kinuko with a startled face and Kinuko chuckled, glancing at Sai, "Perceptive," and looked back to Tsunade, "We'll have to discuss later, over sake." Tsunade brightened at the thought and then kept writing.

"Sai, do you consent to a physical and sexual relationship with Takora Kinuko as a means to understand human emotion?"

Sai nodded, "Hai, Hokage-sama, I consent."

"Takora Kinuko, do you consent to a physical and sexual relationship with Sai acting in the capacity as a sensei?"

"Hai, I consent."

"Do you understand and swear an oath that you are never to abuse your teacher-student relationship with Sai for your own personal benefit or pleasure?"

"Hai, I understand and swear it, I will not abuse our teacher-student relationship."

"Good, now the both of you, please sign here."

Sai and Kinuko picked up pens and signed simultaneously.

"You're dismissed."

Sai and Kinuko walked out of the office, Sai the first to speak. "I train with the team most mornings, but I'm free in the afternoon."

Kinuko nodded, "Good, get some rest from this mission and I'll meet you tomorrow afternoon at your place, where do you live?"

Sai scribbled down his address on a piece of his sketch pad, tearing it off and handing it to her.

"Great, see you around 6 tomorrow."

Sai nodded, "Ariagoto, sensei."

And with that, he was off in a flash. Kinuko sighed and kept walking, a happy grin on her face when she heard a swish of clothing next to her.

It was Kakashi, hands in his pockets, mask covering his features as he strolled next to her, "So, Sai, huh?"

Kinuko nodded, heading down the streets towards her home as she proceeded to explain to Kakashi her reasoning behind taking on Sai as a student, how her heart hurt to see someone so devoid of emotion because someone of their own village had forced it out of him.

"I understand. I haven't had much time for him with Akatsuki threats looming and Konoha on the brink of war, I'm glad you are taking him under your wing. He doesn't really have anyone besides the team."

Kinuko smiled sadly, "I can see that, it's obvious he longs for a bond with someone. Hopefully I can help him find happiness within himself, and then maybe one day he can find happiness with a wife."

Kakashi was silent as he followed, thinking about the situation as Kinuko made it to the door of her home, fishing her keys out of her satchel.

Kinuko glanced up at him while she unlocked the door and jerked her head at him to follow her in, "I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable, I'm not pursuing a relationship with him, only teaching him. I just, am trying to help in the way I know how and the way I was taught by Jiraiya-sensei."

Kakashi took off his sandals at the door, watching Kinuko's long hair sway as she toed off her sandals as well.

"It is…strange, but I understand. And it's…intimidating knowing that the infamous Pervy Sage was your sensei in such matters."

Kinuko chuckled and ushered him into her kitchen, "Tea?"

"Yes, please."

Kakashi leaned against the counter as she worked on filling up the kettle, turning on the stove to bring the water to a boil. She grabbed two cups and continued on, looking up at Kakashi with a smirk of her own, "You don't have to be intimidated, hell, you read his porno novels, you know the tricks and I'm half certain you've probably recorded them with your Sharingan."

Kakashi shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously, "I would never abuse the Sharingan like that."

Kinuko pulled his mask down in a flash, noting the blushing on his neck as she laughed, "Liar," and swooped in to pull him down for a quick kiss before working on the tea leaves in the cups.

She glanced up at him as she worked, noticing his headband still covered the Sharingan, "Does it bother you, to have the Sharingan uncovered in the daylight?"

"No, but it bothers most people. Many people take it as a sign of distrust, and it puts people off."

"I can understand that, but around me, in private, you don't have to hide it."

She smiled up at him and he cautiously removed the headband, tucking it into his pocket. She poured the tea as the kettle started to boil, "I wasn't expecting a house this nice, well, a house at all really. You definitely don't want to come over to my place."

He gave her that charming eye crinkle as she handed him his cup of tea, walking to the breakfast table to sit. She couldn't help but smile, "The Takora clan has been generous with financial support, I suppose they feel a modicum of guilt for the life they signed me up for. But hey, I've got a 4 bedroom home to show for it!" Kinuko was nothing but smiles at the statement, sipping on her tea as Kakashi did the same.

"Is it unbecoming to say I'm happy you got demoted and discharged from ANBU?"

"I'm happy about it myself, the biggest sense of relief I have ever felt. I'd like to start some semblance of a normal life now, normal missions, working with a team, passing on what I can as a teacher. I know my espionage skills will be exploited still for missions, especially with war looming, and my bloodline limit, though not in the same fashion as before. I still want to do what I can to protect the Konoha I love and to protect Naruto from falling into Akatsuki clutches."

Kakashi nodded, "You should start coming to our training sessions, I can even give you the bell test if you'd like to make it official."

Kinuko raised an eyebrow at Kakashi, who was trying to hide a smile, "Bell test? What's that?"

"Oh you know, I tie a bell on my vest and you have to be able to catch me and retrieve a bell. With four teammates, there would be only 3 bells, and whoever doesn't get a bell doesn't make the cut."

"That sounds ridiculous."

"Well, it's not the point of the test, the point of the test is teamwork, and to never leave a teammate behind."

Kinuko nodded, understanding, "Well, I'd enjoy chasing you at least. My combat skills are nowhere close to yours, but I can set a mean trap." She smiled slyly, standing and taking their empty tea cups.

"How about dinner, tonight, at Konoha Grill, 6 pm?"

Kinuko looked over her shoulder at the sudden question and change in conversation, butterflies in her stomach as she sat the cups in the sink to start washing them, "That sounds lovely."

Kakashi wound his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll stop back by to escort you then, my lady."

And with a poof of smoke, he was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Brief lemon ahead. Please leave a review and let me know what you think, happy reading! :)**

* * *

"Again, this time we move in formation A, to C, and Sai will take aerial coverage to help with a distraction while Kinuko sets her trap." Sakura was barking out orders to the 4 man cell while they battled Kakashi.

Sai, Naruto, Kinuko, and Sakura were all working together in preparation for future missions. Two months had passed since their return from eliminating Deidara, and they were starting to coordinate their teamwork well. Kinuko set her chakra strings into place and gave the signal that she was prepared as she hovered on a tree branch for their target, Kakashi, to be forced into the trap. She masked the chakra laced strings she had laced with a paralytic poison as Kakashi brushed against her trap while Naruto backed him into it with a Rasengan.

The strings wrapped around him quickly and she descended, landing on top of him, shoving his mask down and kissing him soundly on the lips, pushing a slight amount of paralytic poison into the contact as she winked and covered his face back up when the team approached.

Naruto threw a fist into the air, "Woohoo, we beat Kakashi-sensei!"

Sai was smiling slightly at Naruto's enthusiasm without so much force behind the gesture, while Sakura knelt down to Kakashi to heal him.

Kinuko flipped her long hair over her shoulder, cockily putting a hand on her hip over her swaying black skirt that exposed both of her thighs, "They don't call me the Black Widow for nothing. Like a fly caught in my web."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at her as she chewed her lip, knowing he was going to pay her back for this one.

"Way to go us!"

Naruto was still dancing around while Kakashi was finally able to sit up, "Alright, I think that's it for today. You've worn your old sensei out."

Sakura chuckled, "Yeah right, your just being lazy."

Kakashi finally stood up as Sakura finished healing the cuts in his legs, grabbing Kinuko in his arms and disappearing in a plume of smoke.

Sakura full out laughed and Naruto groaned, "I swear he's worse than Pervy Sage."

Sai made a noise, "Well Kinuko-sensei is very beautiful, and very talented, you can't blame him. They seem happy together."

Sakura and Naruto stared open-mouthed at Sai's accurate assessment of the situation and then got their wits about them as Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

* * *

When Kinuko reappeared, they were in her bedroom and Kakashi had already pulled off his mask and headband, revealing his face and Sharingan.

Kinuko squealed as she tried to run away but he tossed her on the bed with a smirk, "You thought that was funny today, did you?"

Kinuko smiled and shrugged her shoulders, sitting up on the bed as Kakashi stalked towards her, "I mean, I literally kissed you so good you couldn't walk."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and with a sly grin he leaned forward on the bed, putting both hands on either side of her as he stared at her, tome in his Sharingan spinning quicker than usual, "So we are using bloodline limits on each other now, hmmm?"

She squealed again as she tried to back up, but he kissed her square on the mouth as he stared into her eyes.

Suddenly, she was looking around and she was naked, in her bedroom, her feet planted firmly on the ground. Kakashi suddenly appeared, in his ANBU uniform, and she immediately realized he had caught her in his Sharingan.

She couldn't help the girlish giggle that left her lips in anticipation of what was to come. She knew Kakashi would never hurt her, and if her nakedness was any indication, he planned on doing something naughty to her.

"I like your uniform, it's very sexy." Kinuko licked her lips at Kakashi, watching as the clingy black fabric molded over his muscled body, his shoulders bare and his ANBU tattoo visible.

He smirked wolfishly, pressing himself against her as he wrapped his arms around her, running his gloved hands over the globes of her ass, "I like your uniform too."

She leaned up to try and kiss him but he pulled back, smacking her ass lightly and making a 'tsking' sound. She pouted, her full bottom lip coming forward and making doe eyes at him as he chuckled.

"I think I've distracted you long enough."

And with a blink, she was out of the dream world and had a second to look up into Kakashi's face, noticing they were both stripped of their clothes as he suddenly entered her swiftly with a hard thrust.

Kinuko let out a gasp of surprise as Kakashi pounded into her, pulling him down to finally claim his lips again. She gripped his back, reaching down to squeeze his ass that she loved so much, and wrapped her legs around his waist as he had his way with her.

When they both were coming down from their release, Kinuko's head lay on Kakashi's chest, rubbing slowly back and forth over his toned stomach while he played with her hair.

She kissed his chest and lay her head back down, not believing the words that were about to slip out of her mouth, "Kakashi?"

A sleepy sounding, "Hmm," replied.

"I think I love you."

She expected silence, perhaps a gasp, but instead, she felt Kakashi place a kiss on her head.

"I think I love you too."

She couldn't restrain the grin that crossed her lips, hugging Kakashi tightly as they dozed off.

* * *

A month later found them in Autumn, and Akatsuki troubles were finally stirring. Kinuko sighed as she thought about it, sitting in Sai's loft style apartment posing for one of his many sketches This time he had her wearing one of his white button down dress shirts, lounging on a chair with a knee to her chest. She looked off into the darkening sky and she thought she could feel the tension of war settle in her bones. Clouds gathered in the sky as rain droplets started to pelt the window, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming.

"You look worried, sensei. Is everything alright?" Kinuko turned her head to Sai, he was in nothing but a pair of his black shinobi style pants, feet and chest bare as he leaned over his sketch pad.

She smiled to herself, thinking about how far they had come in only three months times with his emotional progress and his confidence.

"Nothing I should worry you with, just a bad feeling. Are you nearly ready for your next lesson?"

Sai sat down his sketchpad and stood, "Hai, sensei. Tell me what you would like for me to do."

Kinuko smiled at his eagerness, "For now, just sit across from me at the table, I just want us to talk."

Sai did as instructed while Kinuko watched him settle down and actually relax. Around her, he wasn't stiff, and he was finally starting to loosen up around others as well.

"Sai, we've gone through three months of training now, and you are doing exceptional, your finally starting to truly connect with others and I can see a deeper understanding of emotion in your eyes."

Sai gave her a flash of a small, genuine smile that reached his eyes, "Thank you sensei, it makes me happy to know I have made you proud."

Kinuko grabbed Sai's hands in hers and squeezed, "Sai, that's all I want, you to be happy. You deserve it."

Kinuko took a deep breath before she started to get emotional as she released his hands, "And, I want you to be honest with me and tell me if there is someone that you have noticed, someone that you feel attracted to or think about. Is there any woman you have your eye on?"

Sai thought for a moment and then nodded.

Kinuko warmed inside, pleased that he had actually started to look at women, "Can you tell me her name?"

"Hyuuga Hinata."

Kinuko grinned, "She's an excellent choice, and her personality would complement yours quite well, I would think. What is it that you notice about her?"

Sai looked off into the rainy sky as he thought, "Her eyes are beautiful, insightful. She is very quiet, but I think it is because others are always so loud around her. She is gentle, and graceful."

Kinuko nodded in agreement, "You have always been perceptive, Sai. I think, for someone like yourself that is also of a quiet nature, you would give Hinata room to talk that she might not get with another partner, and she would be patient with you whenever you find an emotion difficult to understand. I think you've picked a worthy woman to complement you Sai, now, it's up to you to show her that you are a worthy man for her."

Sai's eyebrows came together in confusion, "How do I do that?"

Kinuko settled into her chair, eyes lit up with excitement as she spoke with Sai on relationships, wooing a woman, and even worked out a few role-playing scenarios with him to practice. _Yes,_ Kinuko mused, _I think if she will accept him, Sai could find happiness._

* * *

Two weeks after Sai's confession of an attraction to Hinata, the two were actually dating and Kinuko was more than thrilled. She and Kakashi had only grown closer, and the Team was working together rather smoothly.

"Kinuko-san?" Hinata's voice drew Kinuko out of her thoughts as she looked into the Hyuuga's lavender eyes with a smile, "Yes?"

Hinata looked at the ground and then looked at Sai, "Sai says that you are his sensei, and…and…I would be honored if you would accompany us to the Hyuuga compound and I could show you both around?"

Kinuko smiled warmly, "That would be lovely, if Neji-san is there I would love to see him again, it's been too long."

Fifteen minutes later and Hinata was walking them around the gardens, pointing out the training grounds and naming some of the medicinal herbs she was growing. Kinuko sensed a presence coming and looked up to see a middle-aged man, strikingly similar to Neji, walk out of the house doors off the garden.

"Hinata, I did not know we had guests."

Hinata immediately bowed as Kinuko watched her demeanor change, "Gomen, Hizashi-sempai. I have brought Sai and his sensei Takora Kinuko for a tour of the compound." Hizashi's face turned into a scowl at hearing Kinuko's name.

"You would bring that filth to this house, Hinata?!"

Hinata looked up with wide eyes, not certain what he was talking about, "Hizashi-sempai, there must be some misunderstanding."

Hizashi quickly hopped down from the porch as he stood in front of the trio, "You bring one of Danzo's own prodigies to our house who is under the tutelage of this whore. You stupid girl, you disgrace this house!"

Hizashi brought his hand back to slap Hinata across the face but Kinuko moved quickly, standing in front of Hinata as her own face took the blow.

She spat blood at Hizashi's feet, eyes narrowing as she looked up at him, the flaps of her black skirt blowing in the breeze, her fists squeezed at her side, "Don't you dare raise a hand to this woman or speak so incompetently about my student. You can call me a whore, but if you so much as lay one finger on Sai or Hinata, you will be sorry."

"What's going on out here?!" Hiashi, clan head, came through the door as Hizashi backed up from the trio, looking up to his brother, "Your daughter is dating a Root member who is under the tutelage of this sorry excuse of a whore kuniochi Takora Kinuko!"

Kinuko dropped to her knees on the ground, bowing low before Hiashi as she ignored Hizashi's words, "Hyuuga Hiashi-san, thank you for allowing me into your home. My father sends his best."

Hiashi's eyes scanned the situation as he contemplated what to do, "Stand Kinuko-san, your greeting is appreciated but undeserved, I deeply apologize for my brother's actions. Hizashi, leave this instant."

Hizashi complied without word as he disappeared.

Hiashi turned back to the trio, "Come inside and have some tea and we'll get you some ice."

* * *

"That piece of trash! If he wasn't a Hyuuga I'd swear I'd pummel him into the ground! How does he even know about you, your file is sealed!" Kakashi was gritting his teeth as Kinuko sat on her couch with an icepack on her face, smiling internally at Kakashi's overprotective nature.

"Clan leaders of as large and royal as the Hyuugas usually know which girls are chosen from the get-go, particularly when they are working to ensure their own clan members aren't selected for the seduction profession. It's fine Kakashi, it's not like I haven't been slapped before and it's definitely not the first time someone has called me a whore. As soon as we meet up with Sakura to train tomorrow I'll have her heal it so we don't even have to think about it anymore."

Kakashi grimaced and sat next to Kinuko, stroking the side of her uninjured cheek, "Tell me you don't think that though? It's not what you are, it's not who you are. You were, you are, an honorable ninja of this village. Everything you did, you had to do to protect Konoha. Men like Hizashi are weak, little men with their mightier-than-though thinking. And I don't want you to think I'm OK with it. You're my woman, and I'd kick his ass if I wouldn't be executed for attacking a council member."

Kinuko couldn't contain the grin that slowly spread on her face, "Kakashi, my hero, standing up for my virtue. Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you actually love me or something."

Kakashi growled and pushed her back onto the sofa, landing on top her and pressing her into the dark blue cushions, "You love to rile me up, hmm?"

Kinuko dropped her ice pack and wrapped her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his beautiful spiky silver locks, "I'd be lying if I said no."

She wrapped her legs around his waist and he grabbed her around her back, picking them up as he took her to the bedroom, "I'll show you just how riled up you get me."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Warning, character death ahead and then a lemon later. Maybe I was just really emotional the day that I wrote this, but I bawled as I was typing, it was like torture. Hopefully you find it just a little moving. Read and review! :)**

* * *

The day that Kinuko had felt creeping upon them finally came. It started off as a beautiful and sunny day, until during their team practice, an ANBU approached with orders to report to the Hokage's office.

Akatsuki were headed their way, Hidan and Kakuzu, and they had just killed one of the Land of Fire's monks as they entered the borders. ANBU spies reported they were coming for the nine-tails and were headed straight for the village. Tsunade had given Naruto and Team 7 orders to draw them away from the village and to eliminate the members. Asuma and his team were also dispatched as an extra-precaution for back-up.

Twenty minutes outside the village and they found themselves face-to-face with the two famed immortal Akatsuki members. It was nine against two, _surely,_ Kinuko thought, _we won't have any problem._

But Kinuko was horribly wrong, the two immortal missing nin were nearly impossible to catch.

Her team worked on executing battle strategies against Kakuzu, but he was so elusive due to his stitched and detachable appendages. Sakura stayed at a distance from the teams, they needed her healthy to heal anyone that was injured after the fight. She sent punches into the ground to build cover for Kinuko as Kinuko worked her way to hide behind the pieces of upturned Earth, sealing a poison chakra jutsu onto her blade as she jumped out from behind the boulder and aimed straight for Kakuzu's heart.

The tip of her sword made contact but before she could deliver the blow through his chest, his arm had detached and flipped her blade to shove it through her own stomach. She gasped as he flung her off into the distance, watching from the ground as the nine of them took a beating.

Kakashi was practically chasing Kakuzu, and she saw his chidori go through his chest, but apparently, Kakuzu was a freak of nature and wasn't down for the count. She pulled the blade from her stomach as she pressed her hand to the wound as hard as she could, trying to lean up on one elbow to account for her teammates.

Ino had been knocked unconscious early on in the fight, Shikamara, Sai, and Asuma had gone after Hidan. Choji had apparently landed a blow to Kakuzu but now Naruto was facing him, and she couldn't see Sakura anywhere on the battlefield.

"Shit." She pushed herself up and steeled her nerves, forcing herself to her feet to try and get closer to her comrades. There, bright pink hair. She flared her chakra and Sakura darted to her instantly.

"You're going to be fine, I promise, hang in there."

While their comrades fought and Sakura worked on closing her stomach wound, Kinuko prayed everyone was alright. She still had a bad feeling that something worse was to come. And then she saw it and let out a blood curdling scream.

Hidan's scythe passed right across his own neck as Sai rode his ink bird to attack from above, the injury mirroring itself on Sai's skin as he started to fall from the sky. Forgetting Sakura and her pain she jumping into the air, grasping Sai against her chest as she hit the ground with him, blood pouring from his neck.

"Sakura, help him!" She looked into Sai's eyes as they began to darken, the light slowly fading, "No, Sai, no, you hear me! You have to hang on. Sakura is healing you, you are going to be OK."

Sai smiled softly and she knew he couldn't talk due to the huge gash in his throat and he reached for her hand while Sakura summoned her healing slug to try and help.

She grabbed onto his outstretched hand, squeezing it as she kissed his forehead, "Please, Sai, no, don't you die on me."

And as she continued gazing down at him, holding his bleeding body in her hands, she heard a faint whisper, "Ariagoto."

Then his eyes closed and she continued to scream, "NO, NO, Sakura HELP HIM!"

But Sakura had stopped trying moments before, the blood loss was too great, his head had nearly been severed and no matter how many times she tried to put his veins back together they kept splitting open. Neither she nor Katsyu understood, and they couldn't heal him.

Katsyu instead discreetly attached herself to Kinuko, finishing the healing process on Kinuko's stomach. Kinuko didn't know how long she held Sai's body tight in her arms as she and Sakura cried, but they soon found out they were not the only ones with losses.

They looked up through bleary eyes as Shikamaru carried the body of their sensei towards them, Ino and Choji flanking his side as tears streamed down their faces. Kakashi and Naruto approached them last, Naruto's chin quivering as he let out a yell of frustration and kneeled over Sai's body, Kinuko refusing to let Sai out of her arms as she cradled him against her, kissing his forehead.

Kakashi kneeled behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders in comfort, for both his and hers. Kinuko took some deep breaths to try and gather herself. "Please, please tell me this wasn't all for nothing. Please tell me Hidan and Kakuzu are dead."

Kakashi squeezed her shoulder, "They're both dead."

Kinuko nodded and scooped up Sai's body in her arms, leaning his head against her shoulder as she looked down to Shikamaru with a solemn face, "We should take them back."

Shikamaru nodded, scooping up his sensei as they all made the slow journey back to Konoha. No one tried to take Sai's body from Kinuko, they all knew the love she held for Sai and Sakura choked on more tears as she watched Kinuko's grief stricken face gaze so sadly and longingly at Sai's face.

Naruto and Kakashi's superb hearing heard her whisper to him on their journey, how she apologized to him, how she should have been the one to die, how he deserved to finally be happy.

"I hope the next life is much better for you than this one, Sai, you deserved so much more."

Her arms shook in exhaustion as she carried him, but she didn't slow down, she never lost her grip on Sai.

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder as tears streamed down his own face. He had lost a brother.

They reached the Konoha gates, ANBU already waiting for them when they arrived. They whisked them away to Tsunade's office, where finally Tsunade convinced the group to let her staff take their bodies and prepare them for burial.

Kinuko's breathing was shallow when Sai left her sight, and she turned to bury her face in Kakashi's vest to try and hide from the pain. His arms wrapped around her as they shared in each others grief, Tsunade standing solemn among them as Shikamaru told Tsunade that he would tell Kurenai the news right away. His team left with him.

Team 7 found themselves all at Kinuko's house, and even though there was more than enough space for them to all have their separate rooms, they ended up in the living room, blankets and pillows around them as they mindlessly made themselves take showers, clean off the blood, and change into clean sleep clothes.

They drank sake, no one could stand to eat. They drank, and few words were said between them as they silently remembered their friend. It hurt too much to talk. Sakura had thrown a glass angrily against the wall as she broke down into Naruto's arms, hating herself for not being able to save him.

But, they had found out later, it was a jutsu that Hidan had used that allowed him to inflict harm upon his own body that transferred the wound onto the victim, it was how he killed both Asuma and Sai. Not even Tsunade could have saved him.

They drank until they passed out, a tangle of limbs and sheets all on the floor as they suffered together.

Kinuko woke up from their stupor in the middle of the night with her hands grasping Sakura's, the two girls facing each other as Kakashi hugged Kinuko and Naruto hugged Sakura. They were all a complete mess and Kinuko felt like shit. She opted to just close her eyes and try to continue to sleep, at least in her dreams she could hope for a less sorrowful world.

Sai and Asuma's funerals had been beautiful, but heart-wrenching. Kinuko's heart ached for Kurenai as she watched her hold her pregnant belly, tears falling down Kinuko's cheeks as she imagined how hard this was for Kurenai. She glanced at Hinata who was crying also, but she had to look away from the Hyuuga princess as thoughts of Sai's happiness being ripped away was too much for her to bear.

Kinuko tried to reign in the tears and control her emotions like a good ninja, but they wouldn't stop. Sakura seemed to have the same problem, Naruto apparently had moved on to anger, and Kakashi, having dealt with teammates deaths too often, seemed to have moved on to acceptance. She squeezed Kakashi's hand and he squeezed back. Everything was going to be OK, one way or another.

* * *

It took two months before the Team was able to laugh and smile again. During the first month of their grieving, they had all practically lived at Kinuko's house, finding comfort in being near each other during their grief. It was during that first month that Hinata had showed up at Kinuko's house with one of Sai's sketch pads in tow and a small wrapped canvas to deliver a message that helped them get through their grief. Sakura had just finished washing the dishes as Naruto answered the door, Kinuko sweeping the floors and Kakashi wiping down the table they had just eaten from.

"Come in, Hinata." Naruto ushered Hinata to the living room where she stood, everyone paused and stared.

She bowed her head, "Kinuko-san, there…there is something I would like to read to you."

Everyone gathered in the living room, Kinuko gathering Hinata in her arms and giving her a hug. Kinuko sat next to Kakashi on her small loveseat, Hinata, Sakura, and Naruto sitting across from them on the large sofa.

Hinata opened up Sai's sketch pad and looked up, "Sai was working on this before he…before…And he asked for my input, which is the only reason I know about it, to help him make sure he conveyed his message clearly. And I think, maybe, maybe it would help you…"

Kinuko's lip trembled at what she was about to hear, Kakashi squeezing her hand as she leaned into his side for support, nodding at Hinata to go on. Hinata cleared her throat and looked at the paper to start reading,

 _Kinuko-sensei,_

 _There are some things I have wished to say to you, but sometimes I cannot find the right words when you are around, so I thought I should write you a letter to try and explain. I did not realize what I was missing out on in life until you showed up and asked me to be your student. I had been a part of Team 7 for a couple of years now, and thought that the bond we had as a team was as close as people could get. But then, you kissed me that day at the hot springs, and you started to slowly open my eyes._

 _You have been my teacher, my friend, and my confidant. You have shared with me your worries, fears, and relived horrible memories all to open my eyes to try and feel. You shared yourself with me in so many ways, and I have truly come to admire you and consider you one of my special people. You said that you hoped we would share a bond, not in the way you share a bond with Kakashi, but in a way only you and I could truly understand. And, I think…I feel that we really have. I think that you are beautiful, kind, and graceful, and you made me realize that I wanted someone with those same attributes. Thanks to you, I have found Hinata and I have begun to understand what you described as 'that warm fuzzy feeling when you are with the person you care about'._

 _I am your friend and I will always be here for you, because you have been such a selfless savior to me. I sincerely believe you are my guardian angel."_

Kinuko was bawling in Kakashi's arms by the time Hinata finished, a sense of relief and acceptance rolling over her as she felt Sai speak to her from his grave. Kinuko rolled the thoughts through her mind at what she heard: _He didn't have to say the exact words, but I could feel it. I loved Sai and cherished him in my heart, and it warms my heart know he felt the same. And he was happy with Hinata, he did finally experience happiness. And though his time was cut too short, I'm glad he was able to know some sense of happiness in his life. Sai, I miss you so much._

Kinuko sighed as she willed her thoughts to the heavens, hoping Sai could hear her, and how grateful she was for his letter.

Kinuko finally pulled off of Kakashi and wiped her eyes, "Thank you, Hinata, for bringing that. You don't know how much that meant to me."

Hinata smiled softly, "It was the least I could do. Oh…"

Hinata grabbed the small wrapped canvas and handed it to Kinuko who looked at it questionably. "He intended to give it to you with the letter, as a reminder, he said, of what you meant to him. He said he knew your time as his sensei was coming to an end."

Kinuko took a deep breath and unwrapped the painting, covering her mouth as fresh tears sprung to her eyes. It was a painting, of her, the first time she had ever posed for him at the hot springs. Instead, this time, a pair of glittering white wings was draped across her naked backside, nearly encompassing her as she stared ahead with a small smile on her face. She turned it around to show Naruto and Sakura, and saw writing on the back. It read, in Sai's scratchy handwriting, "You are an angel, my savior. Keep this as a reminder that no one should convince you otherwise."

* * *

When the next month passed everyone started to feel lighter, and accepting Sai's death was getting easier and everyone was able to try and move on. Sakura and Naruto had gotten closer, and Sakura had confessed to Kinuko that she and Naruto had finally kissed. Something about Sai's death had brought them together, reminded them how fragile life really was. Kinuko was happy that Sakura had finally realized the catch she had before her in Naruto and that she started to move on from her feelings towards Sasuke.

Naruto and Sakura had finally started staying at their own apartments, giving Kakashi and Kinuko time to themselves again.

Kakashi was flipping a pancake in the kitchen, getting ready to eat before leaving for a mission, when Kinuko wrapped her arms around his bare chest from behind.

She had thrown on a short, black silk robe with nothing underneath, the material sliding against his back sensually, "I hate when you go on missions alone. I miss you terribly and I worry."

Kakashi flipped another pancake as he puffed out his chest, "I'm still Konoha's number one ninja, have some faith in me. I'm not that old YET, I can still take care of myself!"

He teased her and she just kissed his shoulder blade, chuckling, moving around him to grab some plates and some orange juice for the both of them. When she stood on her tip toes to grab the glasses from a high cupboard, her robe rose up and she felt a light 'smack'.

She turned around to glare at Kakashi but he was flipping the pancakes like nothing had happened. "See, I'm still fast."

She rolled her eyes with a smile, "Fine. Of course I know you can take care of yourself. Yes, you ARE Konoha's number one ninja, BUT that doesn't mean I don't worry about you. Plus, you know how I get cold at night and I really need you to put my cold feet on to warm me up."

She smiled cheerily as she poured them orange juice and felt another smack to her naked backside. "You keep doing that and I'm not letting you leave."

'Smack, smack'.

She whirled on him and pushed him against the counter, but he was fast and picked her up and sat her on the cold granite counter top as he pulled her robe open. He pushed down the front of his shinobi pants and entered her swiftly. It was hurried sex and neither took long to finish, but they each got their point across in the rushed moment about how they felt.

Kakashi leaned his head on her shoulder for a moment before righting his pants, and tying back up her robe. She kissed him slowly, cradling his face between her hands, hazel eyes meeting a mismatched pair as they conveyed to each other the love they held between them.

He helped her down off the counter as she put the food on their plates to sit them on the table.

'Smack'.

"Kakashi, I swear!"

* * *

It was the first time she had seen Kakashi so injured up close and personal, and it scared her half to death. He had come home three days later around 9 pm, and when she hugged him in greeting he winced and her hand moistened in a red stain when she drew it away from his shirt.

"Dear Kami, you're hurt. We need to get you to the hospital."

"No. I'm fine, I just need to lay down for a bit." He stumbled when he tried to walk passed her, and she immediately took the weight of him against her frame and she got him to the couch to lie down. She rushed to get her first aid kit, a few towels, and some water.

She threw his jonin vest to the floor and tore his shirt in two, finding three puncture wounds in his stomach that had gone straight through his back.

"I like when you rip my clothes off." It earned him a glare and he just gave her an eye crinkle, his mask and headband still covering most of his face.

She immediately went to work. Kinuko was no medic like Sakura, but every ninja knew how to take care of themselves until they at least made it to a medic, especially when you worked missions alone.

After cleaning the wounds she bandaged him quickly, forced a blood replenishing pill down his throat and gave him a bottle of water.

"Don't move a muscle, I'm heading to the hospital to find Sakura to evaluate these puncture wounds, I'm concerned that you may have nicked some organs and I don't want to stitch them without her telling me otherwise. I know how you hate hospitals but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you bleed all over my couch."

Kakashi chuckled nervously as he glanced down at the stains in her sofa and reached to scratch the back of his head. She pecked him on his brow with a kiss and took off out the front door.

Ten minutes later Sakura and Kinuko arrived, Sakura used to house calls from Kakashi since he hated hospitals and doctors. She sat to work on healing the wounds, telling the pair that his liver had been punctured and she had to remove the toxins and put it back together. It didn't take Sakura long with her superb skills, within 15 minutes she was done and ordering Kakashi to bed rest for two days.

He groaned and Kinuko waved him off, addressing Sakura as she led her to the kitchen for something to drink and eat. Kinuko knew Sakura was overworked in the hospital and didn't always take time for herself, so she forced her into a chair at the bar while she made her a hot meal.

Kakashi piped in from the living room, "Bossy isn't she?"

Sakura chuckled and Kinuko shot him a glare which made him chuckle, and then wince in pain.

Kinuko rolled her eyes and focused on the chicken, vegetable, and rice stir fry, "Sakura, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

Sakura sipped on the tea and sighed in relief, glad to be off her feet as the hot tea warmed her bones, "No problem, what is it?"

She stirred the food and then turned to Sakura, leaning against the stove, "I've been talking to Tsunade about different avenues for trying to utilize my kekkei genkai, and she thought I should speak to you about medical applications I could use it for? She said you are the best medic she knows when it comes to poison."

Sakura's eyes brightened and she perked up, "Oh, that's a good question. Your paralytic capabilities could be used to alleviate pain, and if applied in the right circumstance, your poison could potentially be used to counteract a poison from an enemy. Let me think more about it and we'll get together tomorrow after our Team training and see what we can work on."

Kinuko nodded and smiled, serving up Sakura's food and bringing Kakashi a tray as well. "Thanks, Sakura."

After Sakura had left and Kinuko had cleaned the dishes, she knelt before Kakashi's dozing form on the sofa. She pulled down his mask and sat his headband on the coffee table, stroking his hair to pull it out of his face.

She smiled and kept her voice low, "Let's get you upstairs and into a bath, alright? I promise I'll be the best nurse you've ever had…I'll even get in the bath with you."

Kakashi sat up slowly, swinging his legs off the sofa to stand, eyes twinkling with mischief, "Taking advantage of a poor old man, shame on you."

Kinuko helped him up the stairs, his shirt torn in two only held up by the part that attached to his mask, as she rolled her eyes, "So before your mission you whine about how you aren't old and can take care of yourself. Then you go and get yourself all maimed and come back after the mission groaning about how you ARE an old man. In the words of a Nara, 'troublesome.'"

Kakashi grinned, making it up the stairs without falling down. "I can be whatever I need to be to get me what I want. Old, young, a ninja, naked, a naked ninja in a bath tub with an equally naked kuniochi…"

"Are you sure you are really hurt? I think I need to tell Sakura to re-evaluate this bed rest decree of yours. Here I was, ready to wait on you hand and foot…"

"Ouch, ohhhh, the pain, it hurts. I can't lift my arms to take off my shirt."

Kinuko chuckled as they made it to the bathroom, filling up the large porcelain tub with hot water and bath salts as she gripped Kakashi's mangled shirt, "Sorry for tearing your clothes off. I'll buy you a new one."

Kakashi almost responded but winced when she started unwrapping his thigh bandaging. She looked up at him from her kneeling position and grit her teeth, "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Kinuko, angered at Kakashi's stubbornness to be healed and that he conveniently didn't mention his additional injury, took a kunai from his pouch, sliced off the bandaging on his thigh and calves and practically yanked his pants down so that he was stark naked.

Kakashi was a tad bit worried at that moment: Kinuko was livid with him, the most anger he had seen her direct at him actually, he was naked, she was less than an arm lengths from his manhood and she was wielding a kunai.

It took every ounce of trust not to cover himself with both his hands to try and protect his "assets" should she go ballistic on him.

But then she dropped the kunai and he saw her face change from anger to worry as she ran her hands over his bruised thigh, a large blackish blue the size of a softball imprinted on the skin. She stood up after she was satisfied with her assessment and shucked off her clothes quickly.

She looked at Kakashi expectantly, "Alright, in the tub with you."

She got him situated in the tub and slipped in behind him easily, her legs cradling his, mindful of his bruised thigh, and her arms coming under his arms to wrap around his chest, a large sponge in one hand.

She started scrubbing him gently on the chest, then the arms, not saying anything as she worked. Kakashi swallowed as she started working on rinsing his hair and scrubbing it for him, "Are you angry with me?"

"Yes."

"Oh…"

"But not because of why you may think."

He raised an eyebrow she couldn't see, "Then tell me."

Kinuko had him tilt his head back as she rinsed out the shampoo from his silver locks, "I'm angry with you because you won't take better care of yourself. You should have let Sakura heal your leg. You should have reported straight to the hospital. But you know all of that already." She paused as she sat down the sponge, finished scrubbing his upper body as she leaned against the back of the tub.

Kakashi's back was firm against her breasts, her forehead dropping to the middle of his back at the junction of his neck and shoulders with her arms wrapped loose around his torso as she stared into the water, "I want you to WANT to have a reason to live. I'm angry because I worry about you, and you come back bleeding all over the place like it's no big deal…"

She trailed off, tears silently making tracks down her face. Kakashi grabbed his hands in hers and covered her arms with his, tightening the hold of her around his body, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to having someone worry about me. I promise you, I have many reasons to live and will, in the very least, promise to visit Sakura if I come back 'maimed', as you so kindly put it, from a mission again in the future..."

He paused, "Please don't cry."

Kinuko made sure her voice was steady as she squeezed her arms around him in reassurance, "Thank you, that's all I want."

She took a steadying breath, "How did you know I was crying?"

"I have a contract with nin dogs, remember, I have an excellent sense of smell."

"Oh, well…" Kinuko swallowed as she moved her thoughts past the previous topic, "I guess I need to make sure I take more baths so I don't offend your delicate senses."

Kakashi smiled, glad that she wasn't upset any longer, "You always smell delicious. You don't need to be concerned."

She picked her head up and kissed the back of his neck, rubbing her nose against his ear as she whispered solemnly, "I missed you. I haven't slept well since you've been gone."

"Are the night terrors back?"

Kakashi felt her shake her head, "No, not since the hot springs. I just worried about you, and it kept me up. I'm used to our missions being together as a team now, I don't like you taking solo missions, even if you are the best."

Kakashi was silent, he didn't know what to say in response. He relaxed against her in the warm water, wiggling his toes next to hers absentmindedly while they talked.

"If I don't take the missions, someone else less experienced, with less skills will and we will potentially lose another Konoha ninja. I don't want that to happen if I can prevent it."

Kinuko kissed his shoulder and sighed in frustration, "Why do you have to be so damned noble?"

She smiled against his shoulder and nuzzled her face against him, not expecting a response. A few minutes passed by in silence as they each took comfort in the other, hands lightly trailing up skin, fingers lazily drawing patterns on the other's body.

Kinuko's quiet and low voice broke the silence, "Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" He responded drowsily.

"I know it hasn't been long between us, and I never know when the right time is to ask you, but it's been on my mind lately..."

"What?"

She paused for a few moments of silence before proceeding, "Do you think you ever want to have children?"

Kakashi was surprised by the question, and hadn't thought of the possibility of having children in a very long time. But now, with Kinuko, he was happy and finally found someone he could share his whole being with.

"After this war is over, after the Akatsuki are all long gone, I think I'd like to finally hang up my weapons and retire from field duty. It would be nice to have kids then, knowing they were growing up in a safer world and that they wouldn't so easily lose a parent to a mission or war, at least, I hope not for a long while."

Kinuko smiled, happy with his response as she stroked his drying locks of spiky hair, "I think that's a wonderful thought."

Kakashi traced the grooves over her knuckles as he relaxed his head on her shoulder, feeling completely relaxed and at ease and finally, happy.

They stayed like that until the water ran cold, Kinuko making sure that he could stand steadily as she got out of the tub to grab their towels. She dried off quickly and put a towel down on the floor, helping Kakashi out as she dried him off as well.

She caught him smirking as she ran the towel through his hair, "What?"

His smirk grew into a grin, "I could get used to this type of nurse."

She finished drying his hair and then snapped his bicep with the towel, "Pervert."

"That's nothing you didn't already know." She rolled her eyes and brushed her teeth, Kakashi following suit as she helped him to bed.

He raised an eyebrow, "Don't I get any clothes?"

She smirked back, "Nope," as she turned off the lights and climbed in next to him, naked as well.

"Pervert."

She snickered at his mocking of her words, "No, opportunist."

She curled around him as he lay on his back, her leg wrapping around his uninjured thigh and her breasts pressing into his side. He wrapped his arm around her back and held her tightly to him as she laid her head on his chest, one arm tucked underneath her and the other around his waist.

She inhaled deeply and kissed his smooth skin, "It's taking a lot of effort not to molest you right now in your recovering state."

He chuckled and ran his fingers down her spine with one hand, the other reaching up to run his fingers through her hair, "I'm sure two days bed rest was just a suggestion…"

She smiled and looked up at Kakashi, scooting up as he tilted his head down to meet her lips. She pulled back before the kiss became too heated and she started shamelessly grinding herself against him. She wanted to at least let him recover through the night.

"Goodnight." She laid her head back on his chest and he kissed her hair, "Tease."

She fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

* * *

"Fucking…best…nurse…ever." Kakashi groaned as he stared down at Kinuko. She had her lips wrapped around his thick member along with one hand, while her other cupped his sac. Kakashi gripped her hair as she quickened the pace, wondering how in the heavens he ended up being such a lucky man. He had woken up to find the covers thrown off of them, both still naked, with her mouth sucking away.

Suddenly she pulled off with a loud 'pop' that left him mentally begging for more as he opened his half lidded eyes to watch her straddle him and sink completely on him.

She gasped at his size, one hand on his chest and the other on the pillow next to his head as she rolled her hips, "Keep laying back and let me do all the work. You are, after all, confined to bed rest for at least another day."

He smiled as he grabbed her hips, "Yes ma'am."

She moved so her breasts were dangling over his face and so he grabbed a nipple between his teeth, sucking and pulling on it like he knew she enjoyed. She moaned and quickened her pace and he couldn't help but feel his ego inflate knowing she had been waiting for him to come back.

She started bucking quickly and he swirled the nipple with his tongue, gripping her ass in his hands as he helped her keep sliding up and down his cock to bring her to orgasm. She was convulsing erratically and he kept hold of her hips, pumping in and out of her as he released inside of her.

She leaned down, kissed his lips and gently got off, moving to the restroom to clean off and grab a towel for him as well. When she was done cleaning up the mess they had made, she pulled on a white silk kimono style robe with purple flowers that hit the back of her calves and sat down next to Kakashi, handing him a glass of water and some pills from the bedside which he immediately sat up in bed to take.

When he was finished he pulled Kinuko sideways onto his lap so she was sprawled across him, grabbing her face and pulling her into a heated kiss, his hand slipping into the robe to cup her breast. When he'd had his fill of her lips, he put enough distance between them so he could stare into her eyes, the hand on her breast moving to her hip as the other moved to her cheek.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, "I should go start on some breakfast. You need to eat to recover quickly."

"Kinuko."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, one eyebrow raised in question, "hmm?"

She watched his Sharingan spin slowly, always mesmerized by its beauty and power, "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

She blushed, not expecting him to say something sentimental. "And I should tell you that more often. And that I love you."

She smiled, the happiness radiating from her eyes, "And I love you."

She kissed the corner of his mouth and hopped off the bed, "Now, let me take care of you and don't move from there."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Multiple character deaths...Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks :) Again, don't own Naruto!**

* * *

It was winter when the Akatsuki launched their largest attack that destroyed Konoha. Kinuko had been doing tai jutsu training with Neji, Kakashi had been with Gai on a stupid race challenge, and Naruto and Sakura had been together at the ramen stand when the first explosion tore through the village. Everyone had kicked it into high gear to protect the village as multiple summons tried to destroy everything in their path. Everyone was caught off guard, none of the normal teams were working together, ANBU were scattering everywhere, and Tsunade was being kept guarded as she sent out her slugs to heal. It was a blood bath.

When Kinuko's poison attacks didn't even make the rhino summon flinch, she met her end with the tip of its horn through her midsection. She had exhausted her chakra supply on destroying the previous summons and she didn't have the energy to even dodge the attack. Kinuko remembered briefly in that moment the severe pain, the sound of Neji's voice screaming her name, and then she saw darkness.

When she opened her eyes again she knew, she knew that she had been killed on the battlefield.

She found herself standing in a green field, sunflowers blooming all around her. She looked down to her midsection and found no trace of her injury.

"Kinuko-sensei?" She froze, she knew that voice anywhere.

And then she smiled and she whirled around to where she heard the voice, finding him standing just a few feet away, an easel with paints behind him.

She ran to him and threw her arms around him, tears of joy running down her face, "Sai!"

He hugged her tightly and then pulled back to look down at her, a small frown on his face, "You shouldn't be here, it isn't your time."

She suddenly felt sad, her hands resting on Sai's forearms, "Akatsuki have destroyed Konoha. I guess I didn't make it…"

Sai cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her forehead lovingly. "But you won't be staying. You'll have to go back to your body soon. I can feel it."

Sai grabbed her hand and brought her to the top of the hill where he ushered her to sit down next to him. She complied and held his hand, staring at his face, ignoring his words about her death for the time being. If her time with Sai was limited she didn't want to waste it.

"Sai, I've missed you so much. We all have. It was really hard without you, I felt like I'd lost a piece of my soul." Even though he was there, next to her, the tears still came at the memories of her pain.

He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his free hand, "I am sorry I caused you so much pain."

She shook her head and launched herself in his arms again, "It doesn't matter, you are here now. I'm here with you."

Sai rubbed her back as she held on to him, "Sai?"

"Yes?"

"You seem different somehow."

Sai smiled and pulled her back, brushing her hair from her face, "When I died I came here, and I was finally truly free. I feel, as if, I am now who I was always supposed to be had we lived in a perfect world."

Kinuko smiled and her heart lifted, "Oh Sai, that's all I ever wanted for you, to be happy."

He smiled, wisdom beyond his years shining behind his eyes, "You deserve the same, and sadly, that happiness is not here."

Kinuko's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"I can start to hear the whispers of your body calling your soul back. You won't remain here much longer."

Kinuko frowned and Sai squeezed her hand, "Kakashi is your happiness, don't give up. The future that lies ahead will not be easy; it will be filled with much pain. But, you will both find happiness with each other, I promise."

Kinuko smiled, tears prickling her eyes again. "I got your letter, Sai, and the picture…thank you."

Sai rubbed his finger on the back of her hand, "You were my angel, Kinuko. I tried my hardest to understand my emotions for you, and I should have said it then, but now I know. Everything you selflessly did to help me, the way you stood up to the Hyuugas, all the times you were patient with me and listened, how you led me to Hinata to find a woman to fall in love with, now I know that it wasn't just gratefulness I felt but love. I wanted you to know, before you went."

Kinuko smiled warmly, "Thank you, Sai. I love you and you will always be one of my special people with a place in my heart. I am glad you are happy here."

Sai nodded, "It's time for you to go now. You can't stay any longer."

"I know. I can feel it."

Sai embraced her tightly, kissing her cheek, "As you watched over me, I'll always be watching over you. Please remember that even in the darkness and through the pain, you are not alone."

And with one last squeeze, she fell into a white light.

When Kinuko opened her eyes, the first thing she saw above her was Neji's concerned face. She blinked and he helped her sit up as she looked around. Konoha was practically flattened, but people were alive everywhere amongst the rubble.

"Neji…how am I alive?"

She saw Neji actually smile as he squeezed her shoulder, "Naruto…everyone has come back to life that fell during the battle."

She didn't need any other explanation. Naruto had somehow saved them all and brought the dead back to life.

"Do you feel alright?"

Kinuko nodded and stood, taking Neji's hand. "I need to find the others…Kakashi…Sakura…Tsunade."

Neji nodded and pointed into the distance, using his Byakugan, "Kakashi's with Choji in that direction, Tsunade is at the top of what remains of Hokage tower, and Sakura is clearing away rubble at the hospital, the only building that remains standing."

She nodded and took off towards Kakashi, "Thank you, Neji."

She ran full speed to find Choji pulling off blocks of cement from Kakashi to uncover the copy nin. Kakashi had finally stood when Kinuko barreled into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She looked up at him, his headband long lost, his mask torn down the front, and she felt her heart swell with happiness that he was alright.

She kissed him, her lips halfway touching skin and partly touching his mask, but she didn't care. He was alive. They were both alive.

Kakashi returned the kiss with equal fervor, his arms tightening around her waist.

They pulled back and he looked to Choji and Choza, "We have to get the civilians to safety, find anyone trapped under the rubble."

The two shinobi nodded as Kinuko agreed, everyone's chakra feeling restored after being brought back to life. Kakashi bit his thumb and slammed it onto the ground as his pack of nin dogs appeared.

"Oh my...Konoha..." Pakkun was the first to speak as the dogs surveyed the area, many of them immediately whimpering in sadness.

Bull leaned into Kinuko's leg seeking comfort and she reached down to soothe him.

"We need your help to find people under the rubble. Each one of you, locate a ninja and lead them to anyone you can find that needs help. Kinuko, with me."

Everyone nodded and they were off, pulling people from under the rubble left and right. Even though everyone had been granted a new breath of life, some people had been trapped under the rubble only to find themselves alive again and in severe pain by being crushed by the destruction around them.

When Kakashi used his heightened senses to sniff out the third civilian they uncovered, they found a young woman whose leg had been crushed and broken by a large beam. Kinuko clenched her jaw as the woman cried in pain, deciding to finally put Sakura's teachings to work on her bloodline limit.

Kinuko cradled the woman in her lap, holding up her head, as Kakashi worked to wrap her leg in a bandage.

"My name is Kinuko, what's yours?"

The woman sniffled as she tried to focus, "Yu…Yuri."

"Alright Yuri, listen to me. I know you are in a great deal of pain and it's going to hurt to transport you to the hospital. But, I have a special ability as a shinobi that can help make the pain go away until we can get you some treatment. Will you let me help you?"

The woman was nodding furiously as tears streamed down her face, "Please make it stop."

Kinuko leaned forward and gently kissed the woman, utilizing her paralytic poison and focusing the poison through the bloodstream like Sakura had taught her, her left hand hovering over her body to help guide the poison, pushing the paralyzing agent towards the woman's mangled left leg.

She released the woman's lips and the tenseness in Yuri's face fell and she was breathing much calmer, "Thank you."

Kinuko smiled softly as Kakashi stood, "I'll take her to the hospital if you can keep searching." K

inuko shook her head and lay the woman down gently, "No need, I'll have my summons help us."

Kinuko bit her thumb and slammed her hand into the ground, and with a loud pop a 7 foot raccoon appeared.

"Bandit, please take this woman to the hospital immediately, it's the only building left standing in Konoha."

The raccoon nodded, "Hai, mistress," and he moved to scoop up the woman, holding her to his chest with one paw as he bounded through the rubble.

Kakashi and Kinuko continued their search, Kinuko more confidently using her bloodline limit to help ease the pain of the people that were suffering as Kakashi continued to exhaust his chakra honing his senses and keeping his pack present. Some shinobi worked to use their summons to help them clear the rubble to start cleaning up Konoha as Tenzo worked to build temporary shelter for the civilians.

All of the able bodied shinobi worked tirelessly through the night and into the next day to ensure that everyone alive was uncovered and if necessary, taken to the hospital. As the sun rose over the Hokage mountain, Kakashi, Kinuko, Naruto, and Sakura all sat outside of the hospital under a temporary tent, all exhausted and trying to force water and chakra pills down their throats to continue moving forward.

Sakura, in particular, was in a down mood as she relayed the news to her team, "Tsunade is in the hospital, and she hasn't woken up. Her reserves were completely depleted, seven years' worth of chakra build up drained to protect Konoha…"

Naruto slung his arm around Sakura and held her to his chest, Kinuko swallowing the news of her friend with a positive outlook, "But she'll be fine, her body just needs to rest. You'll see, Sakura, before you know it she'll be tossing back sake and making horrible bets."

Kinuko put her hand on Sakura's knee, giving her the best reassuring smile she could.

Naruto looked to Kakashi at the news, "Kakashi-sensei, you know what this means?"

Kakashi raised a questioning eyebrow as Naruto continued. "Baa-chan told me if anything were to ever happen and she was unable to fulfill her duties as Hokage, she wanted you to lead Konoha."

Kinuko turned to see Kakashi's reaction, watching as he swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut, "That won't be necessary, she will wake up soon, I'm sure of it."

Everyone just nodded, but Kinuko could see the weight that was resting on Kakashi's shoulders already. She reached down and grabbed his hand, squeezing lightly, and then turned to look at the rest of her teammates, "Alright, I think we've rested enough. There's lots of work to be done."

* * *

It was three days and nights before there was finally a little stability in Konoha and the ninja could catch a moment to rest. The civilians had all been built temporary homes and carpenters, farmers, and merchants came from the surrounding villages to aid everyone in need. They had also received word that Suna was sending aid as well in a few more days.

Food, clothing, and medicine were all handed out as everyone worked to rebuild the city. Kinuko wiped her forehead with the back of her arm, sweat and dirt covering her body as the ninja barely found time to sleep.

After clearing everyone from underneath the rubble, Sakura had utilized her in the hospital as they ran out of morphine quickly, using Kinuko's bloodline limit to numb patient's pains so that the nurses and doctors could set bones and perform surgeries. When she wasn't in the hospital, she was on the streets of Konoha helping to move the rubble out of the city and set up tents and cots for the ninja.

Kinuko stood before the rubble that used to be her home, arms crossed across her chest, her black spandex halter sporting quite the hole through the middle as a reminder of her death, the front and back flap of her ground length black skirt torn and fraying on the ends.

Though she had worked in the hospital, they had simply thrown a gown and gloves on top of her clothing to get her in and out of surgery rooms as quickly as possible. Her long golden brown hair was up in a high ponytail, dirt and grime smudged along her cheeks.

She picked up what used to be the door knob to her front door, her thumb rubbing against the copper metal as she let it drop back to the ground. She stared at the pile of wood, trying to spot anything at all that she could salvage.

"I think it's time you get cleaned up and get some rest."

Kinuko turned her head to the voice, meeting Kakashi's mismatched eyes and still half torn face mask. He looked as bad as she did, jonin flak jacket ripped and torn, one sleeve of his shirt completely missing, holes torn in his pants.

She snickered and looked back to what used to be their home together, "Pot calling the kettle black."

She moved towards the rubble, trying to pick up a piece of wood and toss it aside to see if anything salvageable was underneath.

She sighed in frustration, falling to her knees on the wood, undoubtedly scraping her bare legs as she whispered, "Everything's gone…"

Kakashi was behind her, hand on her shoulder and he squeezed. There was nothing that could be said.

She took another breath and then stood, "There's a river a few minutes away, we can get cleaned up."

He nodded and she finally noticed the bag slung over his shoulder.

He followed her eyes as they took off in a slow run, "I managed to find us some clean clothes and a few things to eat."

A small smile crept up on her face. In the face of destruction, fatigue, chakra exhaustion, and the news that he could potentially be acting as Hokage, Kakashi hadn't forgotten about her.

"Thank you."

They reached the spring and they both immediately started undressing, practically tearing some of their clothes in two just trying to get them off. Kakashi watched as she pulled the halter over her head, the large hole through the middle that was mirrored in the back bringing him to what he had wanted to discuss with her.

"How did it happen?"

She pulled off her skirt and the small black shorts that were underneath, ridding her body of all clothes as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail. Kakashi had undressed as well, both of them wading into the cold water as she answered with a sigh, looking off into the forest, knowing it was time they both talked about what had happened, "It was the rhino summons. Neji and I had just finished bringing down the bear summons and my chakra was low. I couldn't move in time and his horn went straight through."

She gripped her arms around herself as Kakashi moved behind her, a bar of soap in his hand as he scrubbed her back gently. "

I couldn't tell if you…"

Kakashi's hands faltered for a moment and then he answered the unspoken question, "Yes, it was the Deva path, he could control gravity. Even with the Mangekyo I couldn't bring him down. He crushed me."

Kinuko grabbed the bar of soap and turned around to scrub Kakashi as he had done to her. She faced him though as she scrubbed his chest, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his as they just shared in the moment.

They both moved to wash their hair after a few minutes had passed, using the soap to get as much grime out as they could. The cold water encouraged them to move quickly and soon they were back on the banks of the river.

Kakashi shook like a dog to get the water off, bringing a smile to Kinuko's face as he gave her a fanged grin while she rung her hair out. He did a few quick seals and fire exploded from his mouth onto a fallen log that was near them. They both stood next to it to get warm as Kakashi pulled clothing out from his bag.

He handed her a standard jonin issue top with a pair of black capris and she quickly pulled them on, noticing that he was pulling on the same clothes as well along with a new mask. The top was loose on her, but she noticed the clothes hugged him nicely. She sat against a tree near the fire as he came to sit next to her, his arms on his knees as he watched the flames.

"It was kind of like this, around a camp fire. I was with my father, and we just talked. It was…peaceful."

Kinuko realized he was talking about his after life and she leaned into his side, "Did your father seem at peace?"

"Yes, he said he was finally free."

Kinuko smiled, "Sai said the same thing."

Kakashi turned his head to look at her as she gazed at the fire, "It was a beautiful field with flowers. He was painting, he said he was finally free and happy."

Silence passed between them for a few minutes, neither knowing what to say until Kinuko spoke, "Did your father say anything to you, about the future?"

Kakashi nodded, "He told me it wasn't my time to go…But he was cryptic…he said that war was on the horizon, but to remain strong and everything would be as I would have desired when the dust settles."

Kinuko smiled, "Sai said something similar, that dark times were ahead. He said that my happiness was with you, and not to give up, that I was not alone…"

Kinuko yawned, fatigue settling into her bones. Kakashi stood, helping her up as they both put their sandals back on and Kinuko extinguished the flame

. "Come on, let's get back and get some rest."

Kinuko followed him as he brought her to a tent, two bedrolls already laid out on the ground with a water bottle and a few granola bars next to them along with a couple of kunai. They both pulled their shoes off and climbed under the blankets, making quick work of the food and water, before lying down.

They turned on their sides towards each other, Kakashi pulling Kinuko under his chin and they shut their eyes, falling into an exhausted sleep rather quickly and grateful they had each other to lean on.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Review! :)**

* * *

The next month flew by in a blur and it was when Kinuko finally realized that any semblance of happiness was short lived. Kakashi had been acting as interim Hokage, Naruto was sent off with Killer Bee to Turtle Island, the location only disclosed to his remaining teammates in case of emergency, Sakura was tirelessly running the hospital while Tsunade recovered, and Kinuko was working espionage missions to try and gain intel on Akatuski's movements.

Every ninja available was either out on missions or working tirelessly to guard and protect Konoha. No one was granted a moment's rest and teams were split up and scattered to cover as much ground as they could.

Kinuko had been dispatched towards Lightning country, Kakashi hesitant to send her on her own but Kinuko reassured him that espionage was her forte and that she would work better on such a mission alone. She had set up a reverse summoning scroll in his office to send one of the nin-raccoons through to give status updates like she had done with Tsunade for seduction missions.

Kakashi had promoted her back to ANBU at her request, she was more than qualified and they both knew that the discretion and secrecy of her identity was more necessary as word began to spread about "the kuniochi with the paralyzing kiss."

Kinuko laughed and told Kakashi it was better than "the kuniochi with the killer kiss", but he didn't find amusement in the fact that her identity was spreading and knowledge about her bloodline limit would become public. He worried for her safety.

* * *

Kinuko crouched in the shadows of the alley way in the small town of Himiro outside of the Hidden Lightning village, listening in to any news she could catch in the shady parts of town. She had opted not to wear the standard ANBU uniform, instead wearing her small black spandex shorts that barely covered her rear with the long black flaps of her skirt covering her front and back, her legs exposed for quick movements. On her left thigh she wore traditional bandaging to hold kunai. Her top was a sleeveless black spandex similar to her ANBU uniform, with a low cut v-neck line and no armor. She wore thin strips of black silk from bicep to forearm to help store poison senbon with her katana strapped on her back and raccoon mask in place while she hid in the shadows. Her headband was tucked safely under her skirt to help mask her identity.

Kinuko sighed quietly as she waited and listened. It had been two weeks on her mission so far and she'd only heard whispers of Akatsuki activity, but nothing solid. Kakashi had warned her to be safe, to be cautious. After all, they had recently discovered that Uchiha Madara was behind Akatsuki and was trying to capture the entire world in a ginjutsu.

Her ears perked up at the sound of a man's voice, "I'm telling you, his eyes were not normal. I mean, they were purple and swirly."

 _The Rinnegan,_ Kinuko thought, intrigued. She melded her chakra to the wall and scaled the building, following the man's voice as he spoke to his comrade. "Probably some weird ninja. What did he want with you?"

"Just a few different chemical mixtures, some black market shit."

Kinuko continued to follow them silently as she moved along the building on her belly, crawling on all fours.

She honed her senses as she finally heard the men come to a stop and enter a building. She looked at the warehouse type building for an entry, and finding a cracked window on the back side, she slipped through the glass undetected. Or so she thought.

Kinuko immediately took to the walls, casting a shadow jutsu on herself, taking a look at her surroundings of a small lab with a stockpile of varying narcotics and illicit drugs on pallets. She zeroed in on the men and moved towards them as she saw the back of a third man and she froze. He was clearly a ninja, dressed in black shinobi pants with bandaging on each ankle, shinobi sandals and a black long sleeved kimono with spiky black hair to his waist.

She wasn't even expecting the attack when suddenly someone had her arms locked at her sides in a tight grip, her shadow jutsu dispelled. The ninja in front of her turned and she saw the Rinnegan and immediately knew she was in deep shit.

"It's not polite to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

She struggled against the arms that held her, noticing one white arm and one black locked around her as she took a breath to think of her escape, her hands locked away from each other and unable to perform hand signs. She clenched her jaw and with amazing flexibility, brought her leg up in front of her and her shin straight back into the face behind her. The arms loosened for a moment when she heard a grunt of pain and it was enough time to flare her chakra and pull her hands together to disappear in a flurry of green silk. Madara pursued, tracking where her chakra signature had resurfaced just outside of the warehouse.

Kinuko ran as hard as she could to get distance between herself and Madara. She leapt over the buildings to head towards the Lightning hidden village, her only chance at getting back up or reaching a point that Madara would not follow her. She bit her thumb and jumping onto a tree branch to slam her hand onto the bark, a small raccoon appearing as she grabbed him and kept running.

He immediately latched his paws onto her shoulders to hold on, "Mistress, you have a ninja on your tail, approaching quickly."

Kinuko nodded as she bounded through the forest, "Hai, Rascal send a message to the Hokage and let him know that Madara and Zetsu are right outside of the Hidden Lightning village in Himiro and that I'm on the outskirts headed there now with Madara in pursuit. They were attempting to purchase chemicals from a small warehouse in the town that dealt in black market chemicals and drugs."

Kinuko dodged a kunai heading for her as she changed directions. She squeezed her eyes shut in realization of her situation. "And tell Kakashi that I love him, and that I'm sorry."

The small raccoon nuzzled her cheek in affection, "Hai mistress, be careful," and with a pop, he was gone.

Kinuko felt Madara's presence nearing and she whirled, coming to a stop as she skid on the forest floor to face her opponent. She lashed poison senbon at the Uchiha which he dodged easily.

She performed hand signs quickly, "Earth technique, poison shards!"

With her hands stretched out in front of her pieces of gravel flew towards Madara infused with poisoned chakra, but she just watched as he flickered and none of the gravel hit her target. She performed a few more hand signs and released her poison cloud, looking up to find that Madara wasn't in front of her.

She turned quickly and jumped into the air, Madara behind her already. He pursued and she found herself in a tai jutsu battle, Madara flying through the moves so quickly he was landing kicks and jabs on her left and right. His speed and skill far outmatched her own.

One well-placed kick to her side jostled her headband out from where it was tucked under her skirt and she watched as he paused, a smirk lighting up his handsome features, "A leaf kuniochi, hmmm? And a poison user, interesting."

He continued his aggressive attack, a kick landing on her face and shattering her mask, which she quickly yanked off to keep her sight as the ceramic raccoon face crumbled. Another hard punch, a kick, and then she was down on her knees, gasping as blood trickled out of her mouth. She looked up at him, eying his mouth, wondering if she should give it one last shot at trying to kill him before he delivered the final blow.

His attacks ceased though, his arms crossing over his chest as he narrowed his eyes, his Rinnegan changing to a Sharingan and she immediately looked down, head hanging to stare at his feet as her hair fell in a curtain around her.

"The nine-tails new teammate, Takora Kinuko."

She bristled, _how the hell does he know who I am?_

He must have read her mind because he continued shortly after, "Your chakra build up at your mouth is telling, the kuniochi with a paralyzing kiss, such an interesting and new bloodline limit produced from the Hidden Leaf village."

He seemed to be studying her as she sucked in air, certain that a few ribs were cracked as she held her arm to her side to try and stem the pain.

She felt him roughly grab her chin and she closed her eyes, smart enough not to look into his Sharingan, "And beautiful too…It's a shame, really. However, if you simply tell me where I can find your dear friend Naruto, I would be more than happy to let you escape with your life."

Kinuko attempted to scoff at him and only ended up choking and spitting out a glob of blood as he released her chin.

She kept her stare on the ground, "I would never betray a friend, a teammate, or my village, Uchiha Madara. You are wasting your time with me."

Madara chuckled and she watched as Zetsu appeared from under the ground. "I think not, kuniochi. Zetsu, take her to the base and put her in an empty cell, prepare her for questioning."

She knew that she couldn't be captured, so she lashed out to grab a kunai from her thigh and aimed to plunge it into her own heart. But Madara was faster, and wrenched the kunai from her hand as he tossed it aside.

"Zetsu, make sure you put my chakra limiter on her. She's ANBU, she'll try to kill herself to prevent the interrogation and we can't have that."

She watched with weary eyes as Madara handed Zetsu a bracelet like object, and then suddenly Zetsu had grabbed her around the waist and they flickered out of existence, the small bracelet clamping down on her wrist as the last remaining ounce of chakra she had was drained away.

* * *

Back in Konoha, Rascal appeared with a 'pop' in the Hokage's office. Kakashi was sitting at the desk, briefing Neji on a new mission objective when Rascal interrupted by hopping in front of them urgently.

"Hokage-sama, Mistress Kinuko is in great danger."

Kakashi's jaw clenched as Rascal relayed the message to Kakashi, Neji listening in with scrutiny. Rascal rolled his paws around as he looked down at the desk, "And she said that she was sorry, and that she loved you."

Rascal barely had time to move out of the way when Kakashi broke the desk in two, Neji standing by clenching his fists in anger.

Kakashi was breathing heavily as he whirled into action, trying to think of what to do.

Neji handed him a scroll, "Alert the other Kages, the Raikage can dispatch help immediately."

Kakashi nodded and wrote down Kinuko's message on the communication scroll, sealing it with blood and activating the jutsu to send the message to the other Kages.

Kakashi's head spun to Rascal, who was perched on a chair, when he saw the raccoon flicker for a moment.

Rascal looked up at him, tears in his eyes, "Mistress' chakra was extinguished. I can no longer feel our connection."

Neji could only stand by and watch as Kakashi threw a chair through the window and let out a roar of pain. _She's dead, father you lied to me! You told me I would find my happiness. Everyone I ever love is torn away from me! I became one of Konoha's strongest ninja and still, still I could not protect my precious people._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This chapter gets a little darker than the others, just a warning, nothing too detailed though. One last chapter after this. Please review if you've managed to get this far and stick with it, haha! :)  
**

* * *

After the first week in the dark cell, Kinuko had stayed strong and not given up Naruto's location despite Zetsu's many creative attempts at interrogation.

She huddled in the corner lying on her side, trying to think of Konoha and the people she loved and cared about to keep her sane. She coughed, a trickle of blood staining her lips as she wiped it away with the back of a hand, three of the five fingers broken and mangled.

She tried not to think of her torture sessions, she tried not to think of Naruto so that they couldn't break through the barriers in her mind, so she focused on Kakashi and thought of better days when the village was lively and prospering.

She had no idea where she was at, only that it was silent, dark, cold, and the only light came from a candle when Zetsu came to collect her for questioning. The chakra limiter on her wrist drained all chakra from her body and so she couldn't even perform rough healing techniques that Sakura had taught her, and she didn't have the strength to try and kill herself again.

She closed her eyes, envisioning Kakashi's face next to her smiling, his mismatched eyes looking at her lovingly as he stroked her hair. _'It's going to be alright, Kinuko. I'm with you.'_ She sighed, a small smile on her lips as a tear fell down her face and she passed out. She had no idea of the war that waged on outside of her cell.

* * *

During the third week of her interrogation, Kinuko had counted two days since her captor had fed her or taken her out for interrogation. This time she lay on her back, broken wrists cradled against her stomach, one eye closed shut from swelling, her left ankle broken, right foot riddled with kunai piercings and toes smashed, burn marks over her stomach and hips, her breathing ragged from the broken ribs.

She wheezed with every breath, and still, she focused on Kakashi's face and Sai's last words to her. _'I'm always watching over you…Even in the darkness and through the pain, you are not alone.'_ It was her mantra that kept her sane, the hope that Sai's words were truth and that she would make it out alive.

 _I can't hold on much longer, Sai…_

Then she heard a click and a clang as something hit the stone floor. She looked down with her one good eye and saw the chakra limiter laying on the floor. _That could only mean…_

* * *

"Uchiha Madara is dead, it's time we go home." Tsunade announced to the surrounding shinobi forces and everyone cheered.

Sakura leaned against Naruto's shoulders, having just healed Naruto and Sasuke's arms, their final battle exhausting her and draining the last of her chakra. Kakashi sat on the ground, the Sharingan gone from his eye as he contemplated what to do next, now that he felt he had no purpose.

Tsunade offered him a hand and he took it, her hand resting against his back, "She would want you to keep living, Kakashi."

Two days and they were back home, Tsunade working with Kakashi in Hokage tower to teach him the inner workings of being a Hokage as she planned to name him successor. It was while they were going over paperwork on Tsunade's desk that they heard a familiar pop resonate from a scroll on the table next to Tsunade's desk, and the figure before them had them jolting into action.

* * *

It took two days for Kinuko's chakra to fully return after the chakra limiter had fallen off. She sighed in relief and started coughing, fresh blood falling from her lips to join the caked blood on her face. _I don't have much longer. I have one shot at this. Kakashi I hope you didn't throw that damn scroll in the garbage._

Kinuko whimpered in pain as she performed the hand signs with broken wrists and mangled fingers, plenty of blood seeping from her wounds as she slammed her hand on the cold stone next to her. When she heard the familiar 'pop' tears of joy ran across her face.

"Mistress! You're alive!"

"Ras..cal…" She hadn't used her voice in quite some time, her throat dry and her voice hoarse from her screams of pain during interrogation.

Rascal ran to her side and his little paws gripped her face, eyes wide in fear, "Mistress, you need help immediately. Tell me what to do."

"Reverse…summon."

Rascal nodded and gripping onto her shoulders, she focused her chakra through the two of them to use her entire supply to make her disappear. She only hoped someone was on the other side.

When she 'popped' back into existence, she landed roughly on her back on the floor and cried out. Immediately, familiar faces were above her, warm, healing chakra running through her body as she looked up with her one good eye.

She smiled as she met Kakashi's eyes, noticing his Sharingan was gone, but it was the face that had kept her sane staring back at her, his mask pulled down around his neck as a look of panic ran across his features.

"I...gave them…nothing…I swear…on my life."

* * *

Kakashi and Tsunade couldn't believe their eyes when Rascal appeared with Kinuko next to him. At first, neither moved in shock of seeing the woman they thought dead, suddenly alive and in severe pain before their eyes.

But Kakashi shook out of it along with Tsunade and they were by her side in an instant, Tsunade yelling for medics as she started to work. Kakashi was overcome with emotions as he stared down at the woman he loved, broken, bruised, bloodied, and barely hanging on to life.

He moved to reach out and grab her hands but before he could he suddenly pulled back, realizing he would have only caused her more pain. Her wrists were hanging loosely and her fingers were curled and bent at odd angles. He felt tears start to prick his eyes as he surveyed her body. She had obviously been tortured.

When she looked up at him and smiled, speaking words of a brave kuniochi, the tears fell down his cheeks. "I...gave them…nothing…I swear…on my life."

Medics rushed in after and everything was a blur as Tsunade pushed him out of the way to work. Kinuko finally closed her eyes in peace, knowing that she could finally rest.

* * *

'Beep…beep…beep.' It was the sound Kinuko woke up to as she slowly opened her eyes, both eyes, she noted, as she took in a comfortable, deep breath for the first time in weeks. She turned her head slowly, surveying her hospital surroundings. Her eyes fell on the shinobi next to her, his silver locks messier than ever, mask against his face, headband long forgotten, a loose black shirt and pants wrinkled.

She smiled, his head was back against the chair next to her, his hand warm against hers. She looked down, noticing her bandaged fingers entwined with his and slowly tried to wiggle her fingers.

The movement of her hand woke Kakashi and he snapped his eyes open, sitting up straight in bed. She tried to say something but she choked on the dryness in her throat. Immediately, he was thrusting a glass of water before her face, which she greedily drank, both wrists bandaged and aching but no longer broken as she clenched the glass between fingers.

She looked down and noticed a gap between her first and ring finger on her right hand. Kakashi followed her eyes and sat on the bed next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. Before he could say anything she had wrenched the covers from over her feet, looking down at her toes.

She looked at her left, _one, two, three, four, five_ , and then at her right.. _.There's nothing…nothing to count._

Her foot had been cut off from the ankle. The beeping on the heart monitor started to speed up as Kakashi threw the covers back over her feet.

"It's going to be OK, I promise."

Kinuko turned her head and looked back at Kakashi, his warm eyes comforting her.

The beeping started to slow as she raised her hand up to his face, there were no words she could speak at the moment. He covered her hand with his and kissed her gently on the lips.

When he pulled back, she leaned her head against the pillows, "How long have I been here?"

"It's been six days, just yesterday they took you out of the medically induced coma."

Kinuko nodded, looking around the room and adjusting her eyes to the low light, "What time is it?"

"It's about 10 in the morning. Tsunade thought the low lights would help you adjust better."

Kinuko nodded, grateful that her friend had thought of that, "Hai, there was no light in my cell."

She spoke so matter of fact like, Kakashi cast his eyes down in shame and the thought of her time in captivity.

"Rascal said your link to him had been broken after he had delivered your message…I thought you were dead."

Kinuko looked at Kakashi and grabbed his hand, leaning her head against his shoulder and inhaling his scent.

"Madara had a chakra limiter bracelet that drained all of my chakra, that's what lost our connection. It fell off a couple of days before I came here, I'm guessing that he's dead?"

Kakashi stroked her hair, holding her gently to him, "Hai, he is dead. The Fourth Shinobi War is over, we are finally at some semblance of peace."

Kinuko raised her head and looked him in the eyes, brow furrowed, "You mean, I missed the whole war? Is Naruto…Sakura…Tsunade…where are they?"

"Kinuko-chan!" Naruto always had the best timing as he bounded through the doorway, Sakura in tow behind him.

Kinuko's face lit up in a smile as Kakashi moved off the bed to let Naruto and Sakura hug Kinuko.

Sakura began doing a scan of Kinuko, pushing healing chakra into her wrists, hands, and feet to help alleviate some of the pains and discomfort.

Tsunade came through the door shortly after, a small smile on her face that quickly turned into a scowl, "Kinuko, don't you ever give me a heart attack like that again!"

Kinuko chuckled, "Hai, Hokage-sama,"

Kinuko looked around the room, "I am glad to see you are all doing well."

Everyone smiled at Kinuko until Sakura and Tsunade shooed Naruto and Kakashi out of the room to discuss Kinuko's health with her and help her get into a bath.

Sakura lifted her under her knees like a child, her super strength easily carrying Kinuko into the bathroom with the adjoining bath stall. Sakura helped her out of the robe while Tsunade worked on removing the bandages on her hand. Kinuko watched as she uncovered the right hand that was missing her middle finger. _How am I going to perform jutsus missing a damn finger?_

Tsunade covered her hand with both of hers, "Kinuko, the finger and foot you are missing will be replaced, I promise. When you have fully healed, we are going to perform a transplant and after a few weeks of therapy you will be as good as new. Sakura is perfecting a jutsu to mold the transplant to mirror your own flesh and blood, you won't even be able to tell the difference."

Kinuko nodded as Sakura removed the bandages around her feet, staring at the nub on her right leg and then looking away in disgust.

"Sakura, get her bed changed out and replace her drip, I'll take care of this. Get her a light meal as well."

Tsunade scooped up her friend in her arms and sat her in the half bath, the water covering up to her waist as Tsunade got shampoo and a cup to help her with her hair.

"You should leave this to the nurses, you know. If someone found out the Hokage was giving an ex-seduction mission specialist a bath, people would start to talk."

Tsunade quirked her lip up at Kinuko's smart mouthed remark, glad her friend was doing alright. T

sunade rinsed out her hair as she started to apply the shampoo, "Well they can talk as much as they want, there's no place I'd rather be than helping out my dear friend. Plus, I won't be Hokage for much longer."

Kinuko raised her eyebrow as she scrubbed her arms, "Oh? Naruto is replacing you already?"

Tsunade snickered, "Not quite, your future husband is, in fact."

Kinuko's eyes widened, "Kakashi?!"

Tsunade chuckled and Kinuko managed to smile after the shock of the news. "I'm glad. He's worthy."

Tsunade nodded as she rinsed out the shampoo, her face setting into a grim line.

"We're sorry, Kinuko, that we didn't come after you. It's eating Kakashi up from the inside right now, he hates himself so much for leaving you in Madara's clutches. If the man weren't already dead I think Kakashi would be on a war path right now to avenge you…When you showed up in my office…we couldn't believe what we were seeing. You are a strong kuniochi, Kinuko, you endured so much and yet, here you are."

Kinuko squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, tears uncontrollably falling at the memories of her torture, "I'm happy to be home. I don't blame anyone, I convinced Kakashi that I needed to go alone on that mission. I wouldn't have been able to stay alive for so long if it wasn't for the thought of him keeping me sane."

Tsunade hugged her friend for a moment and then let go, helping her finish washing. "Kinuko, you know I'm going to have to ask you to go through psychiatric sessions with Ibiki. I know you aren't showing it right now, but you were tortured for weeks, alone, and in the dark, and I don't want the memories to consume you."

Kinuko nodded, sitting down the sponge as she finished scrubbing herself, "Hai, I understand. But, I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

Tsunade nodded in understanding, scooping up Kinuko in her arms and sitting on her down on a chair to dry her. Once she had put a new robe on her she picked her up and lay her back down on her clean bed, Sakura walking in with lunch. "

Kakashi is anxious to come back in, is it alright, shishou?"

Tsunade nodded as she covered Kinuko with a blanket, Sakura placing the food on a tray in front of Kinuko as Kakashi walked back in, taking his place next to Kinuko.

Tsunade grabbed Sakura by the elbow as she headed towards the door, "We will give you two some privacy. Let's go Sakura."

When the door closed Kinuko scooted over in the bed and patted the space next to her for Kakashi to hop in next to her. He gladly lay next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her head to his chest.

"I'm sorry. If I would have known you were still alive I wouldn't have left you there, I promise you I…"

Kinuko turned her face up and covered his mouth with her hand, "It's OK, it's not your fault. I know you would have come if you'd known. Let's not talk about it, I'm just glad I'm here with you."

Kakashi kissed her fingers and held her hand in his, "I'll help you get through this, I won't leave the village for any reason until your fully healed. Tsunade has already insisted that we take over the new Hokage mansion, so as soon as they release you, I'll take you home."

Kinuko smiled and snuggled into his chest, "Thank you, Kakashi. I love you."

He squeezed her lightly and kissed the top of her head, "I love you too."


	13. Epilogue

**A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little fic! I had fun writing it! Leave a review and let me know what you thought! :)**

* * *

 _Five years later…_

"Mom, dad, look at what Uncle Naruto taught me!"

Kinuko looked up from chopping the vegetables as Kakashi glanced up from the paperwork he was reading over at the bar.

"Sexy no jutsu!"

"Ichiro!" Kinuko yelled.

Kakashi tried to hide his laugh behind his hand and Kinuko glared at him. With a 'pop' the jutsu was dispelled and they were met with the shining, bright eyes of their 4 year old son, Ichiro as he looked at his parents for praise.

Kakashi stood up and picked up Ichiro, sitting him on the edge of the counter, "Impressive chakra control, Ichiro, but how about we work on a different jutsu, one that doesn't give your mom a heart attack."

Kinuko couldn't help but roll her eyes and giggle at their son, continuing to chop the vegetables as she worked on dinner.

"Ok, dad, can we work on it right now?"

"Sure, I'll teach you a basic katon jutsu. Watch my hand signs."

Kakashi performed the small katon jutsu and blew it onto the stove to land on the pan Kinuko was about to start stir frying the vegetables on.

She jumped back, "You are NOT teaching our son jutsus in the house."

Ichiro laughed and kicked his feet back and forth, "Teach me, teach me!"

Kinuko couldn't help but smile and turned to Kakashi and Ichiro with a glint in her eye, and then leaned up to kiss Kakashi on the mouth as she laced her hand with his.

"Eww, mom, dad, gross! Get a room!"

She smirked evilly when she pulled back and then looked at her son, "Since we are practicing jutsus in the house, Ichiro, I thought I'd show you a little technique. See your dad's hand," she pulled up Kakashi's left hand she had laced her fingers with and put it in front of her son's face while Kakashi just groaned, "It's a paralysis technique. He can't even move his fingers."

Ichiro's eyes widened and he poked his dad's hand, noticing that it was just limp like a dead fish and then his face lit up in a smile, "Whoa, mom, that's awesome! I wanna learn that!"

Kinuko smiled at her son and then kissed Kakashi, pulling back the paralytic agent with her chakra and dissolving the effects.

Kakashi started moving his hand again and smacked her on the butt with a growl, "Oh, you're gonna pay for that, woman."

Kinuko giggled and Ichiro groaned and rolled his eyes, "Gross, guys! I said get a room!"


End file.
